Canadian province targets cash scrap purchases

The government of Canadian province Saskatchewan has passed legislation designed to place restrictions on scrap metal transactions, saying it considers the law part of an effort to curb the theft of metals.

According to a news item on the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC) website, The Pawned Property (Recording) Amendment Act, has been designed to restrict cash transactions, “and requires scrap metal dealers to obtain and record identification and transaction information from customers.”

The CBC says that, as with pawn shop transactions in the province, the recorded information can be sent to police. The CBC also says people younger than 18 will no longer be allowed to be part of scrap metal transactions because of the new law.

A provincial minister quoted by the news organization says the additional restrictions have been advocated for by police departments and business owners—including farmers and utility firms—who say they have seen a recent increase in metals theft.

On its website, the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries (CARI) says such legal actions are “often taken without any real understanding of the issue, let alone the industry their laws and regulations affect most,” and adds, “The problem cannot be solved regionally.” The phrasing is found on a “Materials Theft” page of the CARI website, and was not posted in response to the Saskatchewan law in particular.