Naseby resident Marilyn Swinbourn said she and fellow residents Bill Townsend and John Smith spent an hour sorting through rubbish which should have been properly disposed of but was dumped at the centre.
"It's unpleasant work, picking up broken glass and sifting through people's rubbish.
There are plenty of community projects I would rather work on than clean up after thoughtless people," she said.
Mrs Swinbourn said although some of the rubbish was recyclable, the centre was clearly full and rather than taking the rubbish elsewhere, it appeared people dumped it outside the facility without a second thought.
"People left glass, even though the glass chutes were closed . . . did it not occur to them they were closed for a reason? Glass is a problem as there is limited storage and it can't be compressed. . . the bin quickly becomes an unsightly dumping ground and someone has to clean it up."
Bags of clothing were also left, which should have been given to an opportunity shop if in good condition, she said.
Mrs Swinbourn said Naseby Vision was working with Central Otago WasteBusters to provide a community facility, and the recycling centre coped well when permanent residents used it.
"When hundreds of crib owners and visitors arrive the facility fills quickly and common sense seems to disappear.
This is an ongoing issue here, and maybe some education or awareness is timely," she said.
"Abuse of the system will lead to its removal and then we all lose.
Every household has a wheelie bin, and if people are set on recycling they should take it back to the city, where there are larger facilities," Mrs Swinbourn said.
