Government

Ministry of Justice

Regulated Metals

Businesses purchasing “regulated metal” must register with the province.  “Regulated metal” includes items substantially made of “non-ferrous metal” that do not contain significant amounts of iron, such as:

  • aluminum
  • copper, including brass and bronze
  • lead
  • magnesium
  • nickel
  • zinc

Businesses that purchase the following specific 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

Not all non-ferrous metal is regulated under the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Act.  Below is a list of items which are excluded from the Act.  If a metal dealer or recycler deals exclusively in these items, they do not need to be registered and if a registered dealer or recycler purchases these items, they do not need to collect information about the sale: 

  • metal cans
  • food containers
  • beverage containers
  • paint containers
  • Domestic or household products normally recycled to avoid waste