Metal recycling act and regulations

Under British Columbia’s Metal Dealers and Recyclers Act, metal dealers and recyclers who purchase regulated metal must register with the Province. The act prohibits anyone from selling regulated metal unless they provide their Driver’s Licence, BC Identification Card or BC Service Card (Driver’s Licence version only) to the dealer or recycler and prove ownership of the metal.

Metal dealers and recyclers must record information about the seller and the metal. They must also report the purchase to police on the day it was made. If the report matches a description of reported stolen property, police may investigate.

Cash Transactions

The Metal Dealers and Recyclers Regulation limits cash purchases of regulated metal from mobile metal dealers or the public to $50. Registered metal dealers and recyclers may use cash machine vouchers or pre-paid cards as payment provided the transactions, no matter how small, are recorded and reported to the police.

Metal dealers and recyclers who purchase regulated metal from businesses must pay by cheque.

Exemptions

Commercial Accounts

A dealer or recycler is not required to report purchases made from other businesses provided it:

• Establishes an account with each business for ongoing purchases of regulated metal
• Keeps a current list of all these businesses
• Records the full name, address and Excise Tax Act registration number of each business
• Possesses the full name and phone number of a representative of the business
• Records the date, value, and a description of the metal purchased in each transaction

Mobile Metal Dealers or Recyclers

Mobile metal dealers or recyclers conduct their businesses from a motor vehicle and do not have a physical business location. They are not required to register under the Metal Dealers and Recyclers Act and are not required to collect information when purchasing or collecting regulated metal.

However, mobile metal dealers and recyclers must sell their regulated metal to a registered metal dealer or recycler. The dealer or recycler will collect the personal information of the mobile dealer or recycler, record a description of the regulated metal, and will provide this information to the police.