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.