What You Should Know About Copper Recycling Regulations

In case you weren’t aware, copper is one of the most sought-after metals and therefore, prices are high and like most industries, the scrap metal sector is heavily regulated. Copper is widely used and is becoming more expensive to mine, which means governments around the world are driving recycling initiatives, which is great for the planet.

State-Approved Scrap Metal Dealers

All states require that all scrap metal dealers are registered and approved to collect and recycle metals, including copper. In order to obtain a waste management operator’s licence, the scrap dealer must adopt green practices and pass a stringent inspection. Despite the many rules and regulations concerning scrap metal, all the dealers are aware of the importance of good recycling and they have a green policy when it comes to recycling.

What Is Classified As Scrap Metal?

The official definition of scrap is metal that has less than 2% gold or silver, or metal with 80% or less copper content. The dealer would be able to tell you what can be sold and what cannot.

Metals include:

• Copper
• Aluminium
• Lead
• Stainless-steel
• Brass
• Steel
• Iron, wrought iron

If you are looking to sell copper scrap, the dealer’s website would have all the information that you need. If you are in Australia, you can find a dealer with the best scrap copper price Sydney has to offer for all types of scrap metal and will happily collect at a time that suits you. If you have recently changed your central heating to a more efficient warm and cool air system, those old radiators and copper piping is worth a lot of money. Domestic appliances are also valuable as scrap items, so if you are planning a renovation project, keep all recyclable materials to one side.

Recording All Scrap Metal Transactions

It is now a law that the scrap metal dealer must record all transactions, which should be made available upon request. Of course, this does not affect you, simply sign the form and the dealer will take the scrap away to be recycled. State inspectors might periodically check their books and they have to submit reports on a quarterly basis.

Here are some examples of things the scrap metal dealer must do:

• Record an accurate description using quantity and/or weight.
• Vehicle identifier numbers must be recorded.
• Details of seller.
• Date and time received.
• Name of person acting on behalf of scrap metal dealer.

No Cash Payments

The law states that a scrap dealer cannot pay cash for recyclable materials. They can either issue a cheque or pay the customer electronically. This is an initiative to prevent tax fraud, among other things and should a scrap metal dealer be found with unrecorded transactions, they could face a heavy fine.

If you have some copper scrap to sell, the best way to locate a nearby scrap metal dealer is a Google search, then after you get the information you need, you can arrange for the dealer to pay you a visit.