Here’s what the USPS does with lost mail — and how you might get it back

The Mail Recovery Center, formerly known as the Dead Letter Office, is not where packages immediately go to die or be disposed of, despite the facility’s former name. Rather, the Mail Recovery Center (MRC)’s first objective is to determine the identity and location of the senders or recipients by having its investigators examine, scan, or ultimately open the lost mail and packages.

If the investigators at the MRC find a name or a clue associated with an address, great. The package can be shipped off to the recipient, or back to the sender.

If not — and if the contents of the package are determined to be valued at $25 or more (or $20 or more in cash) — they stay right where they are in Atlanta.