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.