How do cans to cash places make money?

[richwoodrocket]

There have been a ton of local places where you can return your cans and get paid for it. What I'm wondering is how they make enough money to justify it. Their profits must be razor thin (if anything) I'm thinking.
Reading online it appears people scrap them by weight.

 

[jknight8907]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/57687.html

Retailers and redemption centers are reimbursed the deposit plus a 3.5-cent handling fee by the distributor or the deposit initiator for each empty beverage container returned.

 

[richwoodrocket]

http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/57687.html

Thank you! That makes sense.