Regulated metals

Businesses purchasing regulated metals must register with the province. Regulated metals include items substantially made of non-ferrous metal. Ferrous metals and alloys contain iron; non-ferrous materials do not. Non-ferrous metal includes:

• Aluminum
• Copper (including brass and bronze)
• Lead
• Magnesium
• Nickel
• Zinc

Businesses that purchase the following items as scrap metal must also register with the province:

• Wire or piping used by a public utility to transmit electricity, telephone services or cable television signals
• Metal traffic control lights, signals and signs
• Street lighting poles, wiring and fixtures
• Sewer grates and manhole covers
• Metal guardrails and handrails
• Metal grave markers, funeral vases, memorial plaques and monuments
• New scrap metal from a construction site or a manufacturing process
• A catalytic converter that is not attached to an exhaust system.

Not all non-ferrous metal items are regulated under the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Act. These include:

• Stainless Steel
• Metal cans
• Food containers
• Beverage containers
• Paint containers
• Domestic or household products normally recycled to avoid waste

Other non-regulated items include car batteries.

Metal dealers and recyclers who deal exclusively in non-regulated items do not need to register. If a registered dealer or recycler purchases non-regulated items, they do not need to collect information about the sale.