In Ohio they passed a law that any metal other than aluminum cans you need to provide an ID before the transaction so the dealer can check it on the do-not-buy list (which is felons, people convicted of metal theft, etc) before they start. They scan the DL and take your picture when they pay you. They are trying to make it so that any dollar amount over a small token sum requires payment by check. Already you are not allowed to sell more than one catalytic convertor per day.
My scrap guy says Ohio wants to tie the scrap metal database to the state tax revenue database and somehow tax scrap sales as income. Only problem so far is that a lot of scrappers don't even file taxes.
And yet, showing ID to vote is still racist.
MiddleAgedKen wrote:John_in_Longview wrote:When I take soft drink cans to be recycled here in Longview (East Texas), I have to show my DL as well, which the scrap dealer scans. The city passed a law that the scrap dealers had to collect the image of the driver's license and then told the dealers they had to buy the scanner if they wanted to stay in business. Same as Louisiana, the theft of copper and other metals was the justification for the law.
I once (only happened the one time, including a subsequent trip to the same parts store) was asked to sign a log book with my address when returning used motor oil to a parts store for recycling. Thought that was odd.
That's a requirement of the oil recycling industry, it's supposed to be for homeowners who recycle their oil, and to prevent commercial operations from bringing in a hundred gallons at a time. They are also required to be able to trace back contaminated oil to the source.
Yeah, right. It all goes in the big tank.
Used oil used to be a waste product nobody wanted. Now it's actually in demand, there are shortages sometimes, and it's worth good money. I know my junkyard friend cut his natural gas bill by 90% when he switched to a couple of waste-oil furnaces to heat his operation. The gas company even sent an inspector out to find out why his gas bill was so low after years of high bills, they thought somebody had bypassed the meter. Now the only gas he uses is for the water heater for the bathroom sinks.