An auction of some larger items including a piano and a ute was well received and WasteBusters manager Karen Noble said there were plenty of bargains to be had.
"People really enjoyed the open day and they said to have something like that in Alexandra was really neat."
Several hundred people from around Central Otago visited the large recycling site and many left with arms full of goods.
The nearby Boundary Rd resembled a car yard, packed with parked vehicles.
About 40 people gathered to watch Fred Peyton from Alexandra demonstrate the worm farms used for recycling, and many were given away to eager backyard gardeners.
Mr Peyton also demonstrated the Bokashi composting system, a closed method able to process most household food scraps, including small bones and meat.
The sealed system meant there was no smell and the food was all broken down to provide an excellent source of garden compost.
Many people bought a unit on the spot.
Gerry Day gave advice to people about old computers, checking to see if they were salvageable.
People were invited to bring along their own goods to sell at a boot sale and others showed off the things they had made using recycled goods from the site.
Mrs Noble said Tracy Osborne had co-ordinated the day's events and she had done a wonderful job.