The $2.4 million project will officially open its doors to residents on November 3 and will capture materials for recycling that would otherwise become landfill.

Albury Council Waste Management team leader Andrea Baldwin said the facility had already attracted interest from interstate.

“Previously on the landfill, we relied on people’s consciousness and common sense to take something off and recycle it,” she said.

“Now what will happen is you do need to recycle, because at that next stage you will be re-weighed and charged differently based on what will go in the landfill.

“Our facility generates about 12,000 tonnes of material, so we would expect that (the new centre) will eliminate 12,000 tonnes being buried.”

Ms Baldwin said a “significant” price change would occur in July 2017 for general waste, but as an offset, going through the recycling centre beforehand would come at “a nil to minimal cost”.

“We’re going to reduce the cost to use this and increase the cost for waste that’s put in the landfill,” she said.

“That’s the incentive to actually recycle the goods from your vehicle.”

Before entering the general landfill, residents will drive into the undercover recycling centre to offload any recyclable materials in bins clearly marked, including for plastics, furnishings and electronics.

The centre also features one of 60 EPA-approved “problem waste areas” across NSW, for materials such as motor-oils, household batteries and gas bottles.

Albury engineering works committee chair Henk van de Ven said the centre would help council meet NSW government resource recovery targets.

“The EPA is not going to give any more licenses for landfills, or it will be more difficult, so we had to make sure what we have lasts for a long time,” he said.

“This is one of the ways we identified as having significant benefits for the community.”

Ms Baldwin said the recycling centre was just the beginning of a four-stage development, including a concrete push-pit to help keep vehicles away from trucks.

“Stage two involves the refurbishment of Mudge St to access the reuse shop,” she said.

“That’s due to be completed in early December, with Aware Industries being nominated as the preferred recipient to do that reuse shop.

“They’ll start early to mid-December and we expect community members to go to them direct with goods.

“Do a spring clean and after October 31, we welcome people to come.”