We've been recycling for 50 years now. We've been green for a long time and here's what the Rescue Mission recycling operation has evolved into; a 60,000 square foot warehouse where 37 employees sort and process 12 and a half tons of clothing, toys, furniture, kitchenware and other items every day, seven days a week.

“There are certain items that we don't accept such as mattresses and box springs, hazardous materials. Those types of items we don't accept but as far as clothing is concerned, we take all clothing and it doesn't matter if it's ripped or damaged we are able to recycle that at this facility,” said Brent Piech, Warehouse Operations Manager.

The Rescue Mission website lists what the organization can and can't accept.

Their service area stretches from Watertown to Binghamton to Henrietta with the donations brought here where conveyor belts help with sorting it all out.

Well, when it's brought in it goes first to the pre-sort line where clothing and household goods are separated. If it's clothing or shoes, they determine if it's a saleable item and the items are put in different containers,” said Piech.

Items that can be sold are placed on hangers and racks or in boxes and shipped to their Thrifty Shopper stores.

Items that aren't saleable are separated for a different kind of recycling.

“If it can't be sold in one of our stores it is sold in bulk,” said Piech.

They have customers that buy the material in third world countries and paper mills can use the cotton fiber in different types of paper.

For more information, visit www.rmlifechanging.org.