SOLID
WASTE & RECYCLING 2025 CALENDAR
BULK & BRUSH GUIDELINES
REQUIREMENTS
Brush and bulk must be in separate piles.
Limit: 6 cubic yards of brush and bulk per collection (equivalent to a full-size truck bed).
Any amount over 6 cubic yards will incur a $65 fee, added to your City of Temple Utility bill.
Not Accepted: Rocks and appliances containing freon
COLLECTION WINDOW
You can place items at the curb up to seven (7) days before your scheduled collection day.
Collection day is day 7 of the window.
Out-of-cycle placement: Items placed outside this window will incur a $65 fee.
Ensure your container or items are placed by 7:00 a.m. on your collection day.
PLACEMENT
Brush piles must be free of trash, bulk items, bags, or boxes (handled separately).
Mixed piles will be collected, but a $65 fee will be added to your bill.
Trash and bulk items must be placed in a separate pile from brush.
Place piles within 3 feet of the curb and at least 6 feet away from other objects (car, mailbox, utility meter, etc.).Items within 8 feet of the curb are considered a request for service.
Do not place items under low wires, limbs, or on top of meters, utility boxes, or sprinkler heads.
Small amounts of brush (a handful or two) can go in your regular garbage container.
SCHEDULE AND UPDATES
CURBSIDE RECYCLING
KEEP ‘EM LOOSE, NOT BAGGED!
PAPER PRODUCTS
Items like newspapers, magazines, junk mail, and office paper are accepted. Please remove any plastic liners, wrappers, and packaging peanuts.
CARDBOARD BOXES
Please remove all plastic liners and packaging materials. Pizza boxes are now accepted! Please flatten cardboard boxes.
WHERE TO RECYCLE NON-ACCEPTED ITEMS
Glass Glass (all colors) can be taken to either recycle center.
Yard Waste 6 cubic yards of brush can be placed at the front curb to be picked up for bulk pickup collection. You can also recycle grass and leaves on your yard for fertilizer.
Plastic Bags These can be recycled at many grocery stores around the city.
Hazardous Materials The City holds a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day annually in October to collect chemicals and electronics.
Year round collection of food waste, latex paint, cooking oil, motor oil, antifreeze, and tires*(with a small fee) at the Solid Waste Complex, 2611 E. Ave. H, Temple, TX 76501.
RECYCLE DROP OFF LOCATIONS
SOLID WASTE COMPLEX – 2611 E. AVE H
RECYCLE CENTER – 602 JACK BASKIN DR.
PLASTICS
All plastic bottles, detergent containers, and lids are accepted. No plastic bags or styrofoam.
METALS
All non-hazardous product containers made of aluminum, tin, or steel. No aluminum foil.
Why are pirates eco-friendly? They follow the three RRRS!
January 2025
Luther King, Jr. Day
New Year’s Day
The City of Temple has three museums where you can get lost in culture, history, and heritage. Visit one on the 15th, take a selfie, post it on social, and tag the City @cityoftempletx! Which museum is your favorite?
Martin
MUSEUM SELFIE DAY
GLOBAL BELLY LAUGH DAY
2025
Day
Each day in the United States alone we use an estimated 500 million straws. That many will fill 46,400 large school buses each year. The average usage of each straw is 20 minutes.
Women’s History Month: From the women-owned businesses and leaders in City government to the mothers, caregivers, and volunteers, the women of our community play a vital role in shaping the future of Temple.
In 1989, the City of Temple was designated as the Wildflower Capital of Texas. Planting wildflowers increases pollinators, helps conserve water, control erosion, and provide habitat for wildlife. Wildflowers also increase mental health for a few short Texas winter months, it is a welcoming view in a blooming wildflower field when the seed bombs from February are blooming.
PETALS & PINTS FESTIVAL
What is the best way to communicate with a fish? Drop it a line!
If you ride your bike twice, does that count as Re-cycling?
INTERNATIONAL MOMENT OF LAUGHTER DAY
Earth Day 2025 theme: THE THINGS WE LEFT BEHIND How has the Earth changed post pandemic? How have your habits changed post ice storms or post tornados? The Earth relies on us to take care of it so it can take care of us.
Reduce, reuse, and recycle. We all know about the three “R”s, but the first two are the most important. Before recycling, reduce the amount of trash by making purchases that are responsible and going to last. Reuse items and make repairs instead of replacing with new items. Finally, re-cycle items correctly to ensure they get recycled.
Juneteenth
Ride your bike, take a walk on one of the trails, swim a lap, or have a picnic in one of the many City of Temple Parks. Whatever you do, take a selfie and tag the city so we can see how much fun you are having! Temple takes pride in our robust Parks and Recreation Department from the Hot Summer Sounds, to the Farmer’s Market there is something for everyone to do!
I hate recycling aluminum cans. It’s soda-pressing.
But just give them a rinse and toss into your green bin!
Independence Day
July is Plastic Free Month. Finding simple swaps to reduce plastic habits is easy. Subscribe to the monthly newsletter from the City of Temple to get some ideas. templetx.gov/newsletter
August 2025
Reusing is a great way to keep items out of the landfill. Shopping and donating to thrift shops keeps items out of the landfill and allows you to find new life in other treasures!
The Recycle Warehouse processed 836.08 pounds of recycling in August 2024. Let’s get more in 2025 and keep this material out of the landfill.
The food waste program is a new initiative by the Solid Waste Division aimed at reducing the amount of food ending up in landfills. By cutting food waste, we help lower greenhouse gas emissions while conserving water, energy, and money. Your food scraps enable us to create a nutrient-rich soil amendment for the residents of Temple, benefiting both the environment and our community. What is a tree’s least favorite month? Sep-timber.
October 2025
The Household Hazardous Waste event is from 9am – 2pm. Latex paint, tires, cooking/motor oil, and electronics are collected at Solid Waste all year if you want to avoid the line. Chemicals, prescription drugs, and oil based paints are collected once a year.
November 2025
Science Technology Engineering Arts & Mathematics (STEAM) is important in the solution to trash and recycling. Finding a solution to any problem is the perfect way to use STEAM skills, even when there is too much trash. Making clothing from plastic, biodegradable sponges from coconut husks, and bricks that trap air pollution all comes from STEAM!
Veterans
Temple residents have made great strides in recycling, but there’s always room for improvement. We are committed to enhancing our program to create an even cleaner, healthier community and environment for everyone. Let’s work together to make a difference!
December 2025
Please do not place broken ornaments, lights, gift bags, or tissue paper in the curbside bin. These items can contaminate the recycling stream and disrupt the sorting process. Thank you for helping us keep recycling effective!
