BOSTON -- A local college is leading the way when it comes to recycling on campus, collecting more than 100 tons of paper, plastic, cans and bottles.

NewsCenter 5's David Brown reported Tuesday that what makes the program unique is who is doing the recycling.

VIDEO: Recycling Program Employs Local Students

At Wentworth Institute of Technology's recycling center, paper, plastic, bottles and cans are sorted before they are sent out.

All the collecting and sorting is done by Boston public high school students, who are members of the STRIVE Citicycle Program. The program trains and employs high school students with disabilities.

"This program is basically designed for students to transition to the world of work. All of the students we have here have a disability," said Richard Hacunda, of Boston public schools. "So what we are really trying to do is impart social skills that they need in order to be a productive human."

Every morning, students from five Boston high schools show up to work at Wentworth. They collect blue recycle bins from the 480 offices and 900 dorm rooms. In return, they get a paycheck, learn valuable life skills and recycle tons of waste.

The program started 20 years ago with six students recycling 25 to 26 tons of trash. Now, there are 78 students recycling more than 100 tons of paper plastic and cans.

But the program is more than recycling -- it is giving kids with disabilities the ability to learn and to earn.

"I think it's wonderful and thoughtful. I think we are being blessed for some reason, and I think it's a good thing to do," student Stephan Zaki Wright said.

"These kids have disabilities. We interact them with our students, and the kids get to see each side of each other," said Bob Ferro, of the Wentworth Institute of Technology.

The STRIVE program trains and employs high school students in a number of vocational fields.