Mesquite Creek sits on Kohlenberg Road just outside New Braunfels and is operated by WM as a regional disposal facility. Its gate rates are commercial and unpublished, so a telephone call before loading is the only way to know what a visit will cost.

The payment rule at this site is absolute and it is the opposite of what many drivers expect. No cash is accepted. No cheques are accepted. Credit cards only — Visa, Mastercard and Discover — which means arriving with a wallet full of notes achieves nothing at all.

There is a substantial list of things this location simply will not receive. Oils, tyres, paints, batteries, electronics, lawn mowers and appliances are all refused outright. That combination rules out most of a typical garage clear-out, and it is worth reading twice before a trailer gets loaded.

Ordinary domestic and municipal rubbish goes in without difficulty, as does demolition debris, oversized furniture, and green material cleared from a garden.

Anything hazardous or liquid requires an approved WM waste profile arranged in advance through the company rather than negotiated on arrival, and select waste streams have to be scheduled with the receiving facility beforehand.

Access is controlled through a single gate staffed during business hours, with the perimeter fenced and monitored electronically outside them, so turning up after closing is not an option.

Sort the refused items out first, bring a card, and telephone for a quote.