Recently, I posted this about metals theft legislation, in large part because ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries) brought up the subject and asked members to get involved in writing letters to try to get the legislation changed. A comment by RecycleBill made me start to think more carefully. Soon after that, I read this article. So, maybe I have allowed myself to be led about too easily without considering the full issue. So, I have made a resolution to make sure I take a closer look.

So, just after I made that resolution, I received word about this article. I’ll stick with my resolution but I do have something to say about this bill. What in the world were they smoking?! Catalytic converters are an important part of the scrap stream and now what, are they supposed to just leave them on the cars and have them ground up at the shredder, wasting one of the most valuable scrap commodities? And what if you replace an air conditioner? It has to go to the landfill? Or it gets put in the tin pile and gets shredded? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Recycling businesses across the country need to unite together to get a workable metals theft bill through the federal government. It appears one is well on its way and it currently has provisions that are detrimental to the scrap industry. Here are some of the provisions which make it seem like scrap dealers are the problem:

• Be required to keep records of secondary metal purchases, including the name and address of the seller, the transaction date, the amount and description of the metal purchased, and the number from the seller’s driver’s license or other government-issued ID card;

• Maintain these records for a minimum of two years and make them available to law enforcement agencies to assist them in tracking down and prosecuting metal thieves.

• Perform transactions of more than $75 by check instead of cash; and,

• Not pay cash to the same seller within a 48-hour period to dissuade sellers from trying to circumvent the check payment requirement.

The wide majority of scrap dealers in the country are trying to work with law enforcement to reduce the amount of stolen material being processed simply because it makes good business sense. There is also a strong move to increase recycling in this country and yet this type of legislation hampers a recycling center’s ability to do business. A good way to reduce the amount of recycling going on is to pass legislation like this.

We need better. Write your senators and representatives and let them know that you want to see a bill passed but one that doesn’t restrict recyclers from doing business honestly.

To contact your senators, go here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

For House of Representatives, go here: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml