For the 5th year, a co-op under the Jacques Cartier Bridge is where crushed cans are collected

When grocery stores and dépanneurs won't accept crushed cans, people looking to make a bit of cash off the deposit have an alternative — and it's under the Jacques Cartier Bridge.

Les Valoristes solidarity co-op is under the bridge for the fifth year, near de Lormier Avenue and Falardeau Street.

Co-op co-founder Marica Vasquez Tagliero said the group is an essential service for people who collect cans out of bins and in public places, where they may not be in perfect shape.

"We are the only place that will accept them," Tagliero said.

The process is simple: people drop off their cans and volunteers from les Valoristes separate the cans and bottles.

They then tally up the total value and return a receipt to the person who can redeem the money at their check-out.

Michel Lépine is a regular at the depot. On Sunday, he earned about six dollars collecting cans.

"I buy my cigarettes, few times a beer and a few times I can buy a steak or something like that," he said.

The depot can collect as much as 25,000 containers in a day.

It's open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays until September.