Lucky Group: Happy New Year 2013 !!

As this year comes to an end, we at Lucky Group would like to take this opportunity to wish all our colleagues, staff, associates and clients a happy and prosperous new year.


May the coming year bring you health, wealth, peace and joy.

We look forward to working together with you in the New Year.

Here's wishing you & your loved ones a happy 2013 !!

Ban on Cash Transactions for Scrap Metal Trade

Due to the increasingly high value of metalin the UK, the crime rate for stolen scrap metal was on rise. The feeble laws surrounding the scrap metal trade, worked in the favour of unscrupulous scrap metals yard owners, traders and recyclers. The administration in England and Wales took up the matter in the House of Commons and passed the new controversial rule. On the 3^rd of December, a legislation banning all cash transactions at recycling yards came in to effect. The legislation stated that scrap metal dealers would now be forced to carry out trade via electronic payments or cheque. They would also be required to maintain a record of all transactions and deals made. The legislation also stated that anyone found guilty of disobeying the new statutory law would be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Offenders would be liable to pay heavy fines or even have their license cancelled. The audit trail that is facilitated by the legislature will lead back to all parties who profit through metal theft.

Amendments to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders (LASPO) Act will mean that all cash transactions for metal at recycling yards will be outlawed.  The new Act also gives the police force the necessary jurisdiction to enter scrap metal yards at will and ascertain whether the ban on cash payments is being complied with. If protocol is found to be breached, the employee responsible for making the payment, the management, and the company that has failed to take reasonable steps to prevent payment being made will be prosecuted.



The BTP (British transport police) deputy chief constable Paul Crowther stated that metal theft was a serious threat to the infrastructure of Great Britain and that the outdated legislation has been exploited unscrupulous metal recyclers for far too long.

The British authorities also hope that these measures will have a negative impact on the market for stolen metal as well as illegal scrap metal recycling and that the severe sanctions will deter anyone from metal theft. However, this new legislation cannot function in isolation and will require the cooperation and support of the industry, police and other agencies.

UAE Celebrates 41 Glorious Years of Unity

The sound of joy and cheer filled the air as thousands of happy people came together to celebrate the nations 41^st National day. Even the occasional shower of rain failed to stand in the way of the 41st Sprit of the union.  The Streets were shadowed by a panorama of people sporting the national colours-red, green, white and black.

A variety of entertaining activities were organized by each Emirate for the national day celebrations. The heritage Village in Abu Dhabi hosted a number of cultural activities such as camel rides, hooded falcons and exotic dances to celebrate the time-honoured Emirati culture. Local women could be seen giving cooking displays at the traditional market which also hosted informative sessions on the UAE’s agricultural history. Most vehicles were adorned with flags, stickers and pictures of the UAE’s rulers despite the warnings of fines. The locals of Al Ain visited the Historic Souq Al Qattara that was recently reopened to celebrate the national day while others visited Jebal Hafeet and Green Mubazzarah to see the horse parade.

The Down town Dubai Parade that is held annually attracted hundreds of people who thronged to the Emaar Boulevard on Sunday afternoon. Organizers reported that more than 3,500 people participated in the parade. Also, unveiled at the parade was Mercedes jeep that was encrusted with Dh1 coins.

An enormous UAE flag was hoisted on a 123-metre tall flag pole (7^th tallest in the world) at Sharjah. The ceremony was inaugurated by Dr Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi (ruler of Sharjah). There was also an event held opposite Al Jazeera Park that featured a musical show as well as a march by the Sharjah Police band. There was also an array of cultural dances, multimedia shows, and fire work displays held at the Sharjah fountain.


Many people in Ras Al Khaimah flocked to the streets in their colourful cars decorated with twinkling lights to celebrate the auspicious day. The Fujairah City Centre hosted a number of traditional activities like a Marine songs, traditional dance performances and games. 40000 Chinese lanterns, decorated in the UAE national colours, lit up the night sky at the cornice inn Ajman. There was also a national day celebration march at the cornice similar to the one organized at Umm Al Quwain.

An ambience of patriotism and joy filled the air as the 41^st spirit of the union filled the hearts of the citizens of the UAE.

We at Lucky Group of companies are honoured and privileged to congratulate the leadership of the UAE and our esteemed clients on this grand occasion of the 41^st anniversary of its union.

Spirit Of The Union - 41st UAE National Day

We at Lucky Group are honoured to congratulate the leadership of the UAE and our esteemed clients on this grand occasion of the 41^st anniversary of its union.

We would also like to send out our best wishes to H.H. SHEIKH KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN, (president of the Arab emirates) HH SHEIKH MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM, (vice president, Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai) along with their highness's, the members of the supreme council as well as their royal families.

It also gives us great pleasure to congratulate the honourable citizens of the United Arab Emirates on achieving 41 glorious years of unity and prosperity.

Aluminum and its most striking features

Aluminum is a silvery-white metal that is abundantly present in earth’s crust. Its attributes and utilities make it one of the most useful materials known to man. Aluminum is tremendously versatile and has more than 300 recognized alloy compositions. An Aluminum alloy is an alloy in which Aluminum is the predominant metal. The alloying elements used most frequently by aluminum alloy manufacturers are magnesium, copper, silicon, zinc and manganese.

Aluminum and its alloys are used quite extensively in the production of engineering structures, transportation facilities and packaging. The various properties of aluminum that make it a superior metal are as follows:

• Durability: Although these alloys tend to lose a bit of strength at tremendously high temperatures, their strength increases at sub zero temperatures. This important property makes aluminum an extremely useful low-temperature alloy.

• Corrosion resistant: Aluminum alloys also have a strong resistance to corrosion. This Property of aluminum is a result of its reactions to the atmosphere. This protective oxide skin that is created due to the atmosphere, shields it from weathering conditions, chemicals and acids.

• Good electrical conductor: It is also an extremely good electrical conductor and is used more than copper even though the latter is a better conductor. This is because of its low density and its high cost efficiency.

• Malleable: Like gold, aluminum is an extremely malleable metal and can be cast into many forms. Aluminum can easily be rolled, forged, hammered and stamped into a variety of shapes. Aluminum can also have a wide variety of surface finishes and does not produce toxic fumes when burned at high temperatures.

• Light weight: Aluminum is very light weight and has a low density. This makes it an excellent choice of material in the manufacturing of airplanes. It also makes aluminum easier and cheaper to ship and transport.

One of the most striking features of Aluminum is that it can be recycled over and over, without losing any of its properties or compromising on quality. Because of its various utilities and abundant availability, scrap recycling companies and scrap dealers have come to realize the immense value of this precious metal.

Advantages of Recycling Metals

Metal is one of the most useful substances known to man. It is an extremely versatile material and can be used to create many products such as automobiles, airplanes, trucks, ships, trains, and household appliances. Metals are a limited natural resource; therefore they have a high chance of being depleted in the not so distant future.

Metal scrap companies recycle a large variety of metals. The most frequently recycled of these metals are scrapped iron, steel, copper and aluminum. The two main types of metals are ferrous (metals that contain iron in them) and nonferrous (without iron). One of the most excellent attributes of metals is that they can be recycled over and over indefinitely, without losing any of its qualities.  Scrap metal is either melted down, fabricated into something new or shredded to make scrap briquettes for future use.

Metal scrap Recycling companies help ensure that this valuable resource does not run out before its time. Obviously it is more sensible to make use of available assets rather than to continually deplete our planets natural resources. The two main advantages of recycling metals are as follows:

• Environmental benefits: Not only do recycling activities decrease the depletion of natural resources but they also keep a check on several types of pollutants that are produced due to mining activities. There are a lot of toxic gasses (green house gasses) that are emitted during mining activities and recycling helps reduce this. A huge amount of energy is also saved as recycling takes up less energy as opposed to mining and transporting virgin ore.

 

• Economic Benefits: Recycling metals create a large number of job opportunities. The recycling industry provides hundreds of people with good jobs as opposed to relatively dangerous jobs like mining. Recycling also helps companies save expenditure on mining and transport of virgin ore. Scrap metal such as aluminum and copper scrap also fetch a good price in the market and therefore metal companies are doing quite well today.

Since mankind cannot decrease its dependency on metal the only other available option is to recycle scrap metal. As mentioned above, recycling activities not only have great environmental benefits but also help with economic growth and power conservation.

 

Eid Mubarak!

On this special occasion of Eid may Allah’s love and grace always be with you.

We wish your life be flooded with happiness and joy, your heart with love, and your mind with wisdom.

Here’s wishing all our readers Eid Mubarak!

The Big Picture on the Metal Scrap Industry

At Lucky Group, we take great pride in our highly skilled team of analytics and the years of experience that powers us. For it are strengths such as these that have contributed significantly to our positioning as a trusted entity among the metal scrap companies in Dubai.

Given the fluctuating nature of scrap metal prices, it becomes imperative for trading companies in Dubai and other business centers to get their sourcing right. One of the more recent trends observed among Customers and other industry players alike has been the buzz around ‘Commodities’ – a buzz that is only going to grow louder as more and more markets open up to this form of trade. Keeping a close vigil on the various developments in the scrap metals scene around the globe often places us in a unique position, in which it offers us a birds eye view of the ‘bigger picture’.

 

In the current-day scenario, it is the developing economies that are fuelling the demand. Nations like India, China and Brazil are on a rapid expansion phase and subsequently, the demand for ferrous and non-ferrous metals is quite high. Given the various limitations surrounding the mining and processing of fresh ore, it is only natural that the scrap metals industry is rising up to meet this challenge.

As the perennial battle between demand and supply for raw materials rages on, scrap metals markets like Doha, Dubai and Qatar in the Middle East region and the others around the world are sure to feel the effects of these developments. Given the players involved, we opine that the traditional push-pull sequence is going to play out a little differently this time around. We’ll keep bringing you the latest insights and updates on the developments in the industry as they occur. So keep watching this space for more…

Benefits of Copper Recycling

Copper can be safely called as one of the most beneficial products known to mankind. Its ductile and malleable properties make copper extremely versatile by nature. Copper has in-fact existed in different walks of human life since it was first discovered. Even to-date, copper remains in huge demand the world over.

Having been in use for tens of thousands of years, copper continues to reign supreme amongst those metals that are preferred for human use. Only about one-tenth of the total copper has been mined so far. Traditionally though, it has been aluminium that ranked high on the reusability scales. This perception is fast changing as over three-fourths of the total copper ever mined continues to be in service even today! Copper recycling is a well organized industry, in regions such as Europe, the United States and Middle East.

A well developed network of scrap metal companies that deal in the recycling of copper and other materials has mushroomed around the globe. Each one of these companies plays their role in reducing the amount of wastage of copper. They find and promote newer and newer ways to reuse copper and its derivatives. And they actively help recycle the copper post extraction from pre-existing products that have reached the end of their life-cycle.



Leading dealers of copper scrap in Dubai and elsewhere, continue to eulogize the virtues of recycling this metal:

• The mining and refining of copper and other ores does have a significant impact on the environment. Though ore extractors and mining corporations keep researching on newer ways to lower this impact, it is still quite substantial. On the other hand, the scrap traders help lower this impact as the recycling process causes considerably lesser harm.

• Landfills around the world face an insurmountable task of swallowing up the discarded by-products of human consumption. Mining and refining waste can and does contribute its share to the landfills. As landfill sites continue to become scarcer, the recycling of copper actually leads to lower costs

• Copper extraction and mining is an energy intensive activity. In-comparison, the recycling of copper uses only a tenth of the total energy used during mining. Thus, recycling offers an unbeatable cost advantage

• Although only a relatively smaller amount of the total copper reserves have been mined, the fact still remains that copper, like other resources is finite in its quantity. Recycling therefore helps to prolong the life-span and utility value in such a way that it can be of help for many more generations to come

• Recycled copper costs about nine times lower than mined copper. This makes it extremely lucrative for the industry as demand for copper continues to be high.
  
  

At the end, getting the most out of life is what matters and the recycling of copper creates newer opportunities for mankind to enjoy its existence in newer, better ways

What Has Led To The Growth Of Aluminium Scrap Dealers?

Come across an industry or a manufacturing company, and you will see tons of metal scraps. These materials have been in use for several years now and continue to be used for a range of purposes for different sectors. Scrap metals can be in the form of ferrous as well as non ferrous. Because of the spur in the growth of scrap, scrap dealers of Dubai havemade it to one of the most promising and flourishing industries today.



For instance, iron scrap is acquired from different items such as machines, equipments, structures, construction sites, it is used in cars etc. These scraps first and foremost are recycled, and then put to use in the form of bridges, roads, transport, construction, and a lot more. This way iron becomes economical, along with being a major help in the conservation of natural resources. Similarly, since aluminium is used in an array of products let us understand the speciality of aluminium as a metal.

It is the properties of aluminium that make it a worldwide hit! Take a look, and you will be surprised to see so many qualities attached to a single metal:

• Light Weight: Aluminium is an industrial metal, but it is a lot lighter in comparison with other metals such as steel, brass, copper etc


• Sturdy: Aluminium can stand heavy pressures, hence it is used in buildings, bridges etc. When aluminium alloy is used it is almost equal to the strength of steel.


• Electrical and Thermal Conductivity: It can promptly spread heat or cooling energy in a smooth manner


• Ductility: It is ductile thus, it can be drawn into wires


• Malleability: It is malleable therefore it can be customized by alloying it with various metals


• Economical and Recyclable:It is extremely cost effective. As a result, it can be used for several things even after it has been recycled

Aluminium is known to be a commercial metal. It is mostly used for industrial purposes and is used in all parts of the world. The use of this metal ranges from construction to packaging, goods and machinery, as well as several other electrical and non-electrical applications. The increase in the demand for aluminium has led to a considerable boom in manufacturing sectors all around the world. This in turn, has led to a lot of environmental benefits. Moreover, it has added revenue to the country, along with a drastic growth and development of scrap traders in Dubai.

Recycling Strategies, outlook and equipment need to Improve

We have been recycling metal since the discovery of metal; and everyone has been following the same policies when it comes to the same, since its discovery. Back then, concepts of pollution, population and demand in markets did not even exist. Today’s day and age demands for answers from everything from where the materials for a particular product or piece of machinery can be sourced from, right down to what happens to such machinery when it reaches the end of its workability. Without these strategies and plans set in place, no manufacturer would even dare introduce a product or brand; more so with the increasing norms and environmental restrictions put in place by local and government authorities.

Metal recycling has not changed since the time people and metal traders in Dubai began conducting the business with an eye on the high profits that it reaped. The reason for this is simple yet inevitable because the materials that are being used today to build products and create towering structures that touch the sky haven’t seen any sort of a revelation. For us to change our recycling strategies, outlook and equipment, it is essential that we begin developing and using newer materials. Materials, that are environmentally friendly; light when it comes to transportation and yet stronger than steel. Moreover, such materials should be easier to create and be available in the plentiful. Recycling channels would automatically fall in place and it would be even better if everything was made of the same material; only moulded differently. Recycling such a material would be easy and would consume minimal energy simply because of the fact that it was designed from the ground up for the sake of recycling.

The world is changing and so are our needs in terms of demand and supply. Now is the time to throw out the old and move in with the new before it is too late and we become slaves and fall victim to our very own creations. Clean energy and the use of natural materials seem to be the only way out and the only direction to step into the future.

Need to build a cleaner recycling empire? — Go electric!

Electricity is the new green! Well…No not exactly, electricity has been providing mankind with enough reasons not to pollute since many decades. Imagine moving back to an age of steam and coal; back to an industrial age where black smog covered the air above cities. Now combine that with today’s growing population and results can be pretty disastrous. People would simply be dying with just the air pollution rather than diseases and aging.


Electricity has provided companies today with the greener and cleaner power to do what they do best — guide the world into the next revolution and age. However even though norms are getting tighter and recycling companies do their best to curb pollution; environmental protection measures by recycling metals and others in Dubai, is always never enough.

The new norms and restrictions make it more challenging yet; allow recycling companies in Dubai to come up with newer and more efficient technologies that help reduce emissions even further. Scrap metal recyclers in Dubai barely pollute the environment. They do way with more good than any other industry in Dubai can. But can it be better?

Yes! And that answer lies in using electricity. One way in which recycling companies can go greener is by utilizing greener vehicles for everything. From transport within the massive facilities to transporting goods via land from the scrap yards in Dubaito the metal recycling facilities. Electric vehicles have become a lot more efficient in the past decade; and many manufacturers have begun providing solutions that easily cross out the conventional gas guzzlers which help transport loads from factories to their destinations. They would obviously not match the load capacities of the bigger trailers, but manufacturers who build them are getting there. With payload capacities that begin from 2800kgs to 7400kgs; and with up to 190 kms on a single charge with no fuel expenses, makes for a great way to save the environment no matter what business you’re into.

Need some relief from those Rising Electricity Bills in Dubai?

Living in Dubai has never been easy. A jewel of the Middle East, it offers its citizens the best of the best. A great place to bring up children and lead a fruitful life, that’s balanced between work and society; Dubai offers a lot to its residents.

But there is one thing that the residents of Dubai have been unhappy with and those are the utility bills. The electricity bills only keep on rising and it is not that DEWA is after everyone’s stack of greens; but just that it is getting rather expensive to provide electricity to the city. There is no way out for residents and commercial establishments alike — you either pay or live in darkness. The weather of the Middle East is not very forgiving either.



There is however one simple way to reduce your energy consumption and that is switching to newer appliances. Newer appliances save a lot when it comes to your power bills by making efficient use of electricity. This happens thanks to the quality copper components that are used in newer appliances leading to lesser wastage while delivering more power. It is wise to buy something new because newer appliances are always built to be more energy efficient. Older appliances will always consume a lot more. Be it a refrigerator or a boiler, newer is always better. Even when it comes to computers, newer processors are designed to consume a lot less electricity while delivering more power.

But don’t dispose that old boiler away in the trash just yet! Once in the trash, these appliances end up at landfills and incinerators where they are either burned or dumped, leading to polluting ground water or the air deteriorating the quality of any one of the two.

Quality copper components come from quality copper scrap from Dubai’s scrap yards and virgin copper from the mines. Scrap which is recovered from older appliances are modified and processed into better quality raw materials for manufacturing newer and greener products. This apart from saving money for manufacturers and delivering greener products at the consumer end also helps save the environment. Recycling copper and other metals from appliances although being a tough job, helps reduce the need for mining and helps manufacturers and brands deliver greener products that have been made from recycled metals.

Modern appliance centres today will even take your older appliances and offer discounts on newer ones encouraging recycling and saving them from reaching the landfills. So what are you waiting for? Take your appliances to your nearest appliance centre and replace them with new ones and see your electricity bills drop!

Recycle your old PC - Don’t trash it!

Personal computers have come a long way. From the good old 486 to the latest and greatest in quad-core technology; PC’s have only gotten more and more powerful over time. What’s shocking though is that although there is such a great emphasis by companies and manufacturers to deliver better computing power in the hands of the common man, nothing much has been done when it comes to creating a cosy retirement home for those old systems. What we are talking about here are those old or older systems that have broken down after extended use and have for long stopped serving their primary purpose.

Statistics show that about 50 million tonnes of old electronics are dumped at landfills worldwide on a daily basis; which means that not only are those aged systems containing toxic materials entering the lot, but also recent systems which are probably a decade old. A typical piece of electronic equipment — especially one like a PC with many circuit boards — may contain up to 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) of lead, along with lower levels of mercury, arsenic, cadmium, beryllium and other toxic chemicals. These elements are all toxic at varying exposure levels.

Technology is pacing ahead these days with newer, faster and more power efficient computing systems helping deliver more in a shorter span of time. Although these newer systems are more efficient, they also shorten the buying cycle on the consumer end. Some companies do have a recycling plan set in place, where they would gladly accept the old system and send them in for recycling rather than letting the customer trash them in the garbage.

A lot of parts in a PC can be reused and researchers are working hard to make the process of recycling motherboard components simpler. Heat sinks from motherboards and casings are all made of aluminium which can contribute as aluminium scrap in Dubai. Wires can be stripped with a wire stripper and the copper can be sold along with the copper windings of the various motors that are present as copper scrap in Dubai. Scrap metal businesses in Dubai buy such metals because they have value and because every single contribution counts; and helps us take one step further when it comes to establishing a cleaner and greener environment.

Scrap Metal Traders in the UK take a Hit for the common Good

The scrap metal trading industry in the UK is well-known throughout the globe for its quality contributions of both ferrous and non-ferrous scrap. The birthplace of the industrial revolution, the United Kingdom may have had a head start compared to the rest of the world when it comes to the judicial use of scrap metals, but today they have become increasingly famous for something else, some unwanted attention in the form of crime.

Scrap metal thefts have reached an all time high in the UK and it is the industry only, that seems to be killing itself. Itinerant collectors have been gathering scrap off street corners or homes; and although this does not seem to harm anyone, it is paving the way for those who steal scrap and sell it for profits. Picking up something that one does not have a use for with permission is one thing; but stealing pieces of copper and other metals out of functional mechanisms is downright theft. This gradually led to problems because scrap metal dealers would gladly accept stolen scrap without knowing or even enquiring about where it came from.



The government finally decided to take action in form of passing a bill that introduces:

• Tougher rules for scrap dealers who want licences


• Greater powers for police and local authorities to suspend and revoke licences


• A single national register of licensed dealers

How this helps, is that it creates a database where every scrap trading company has to compulsorily make an entry regarding every deal with details about the seller who brings in the scrap. The information that the national register receives gets even more secure with a cashless transactions for small businesses and householders; bringing in more details about the seller helping keep criminals and theft in control. Heavy fines would be inflicted upon traders who fail to produce identification of sellers who bring in the scrap. This would also lead to their licences getting revoked, helping them and the industry benefit from the same.

Every Organisation Can make a Conscious Effort and do their bit to Save the Environment

Every organisation out here in Dubai generates trash or garbage on a daily basis. The bigger the organisation or business, the more will be garbage generated every single day. This so called ‘garbage’ includes a lot of recyclable items. If you happen to work in a hospital, you would know that all medical waste is disposed off or incinerated at a secure location. In the case of a corporate office, an entire day’s worth of trash or garbage can contain, paper, food waste, metal in the form of paper clips, pins, cans from beverage containers, paper mugs from the water coolers, and plastic packaging and printer cartridges from printers etc. In fact there is so much of all of this, generated on a daily basis that bins need to be emptied almost twice a day to keep the office spick n span. In the case of a food business there is a lot more garbage in the form of plastics used to hold food and metal beverage cans that often end up together in trash which reaches landfills.



The environment cannot protect itself, which means that it is definitely up to us to do the needful. Make it a point in your office to do the following and it will make a difference.

• Re-use printer cartridges, print documents on both sides if the document is meant for filing purposes.


• Reduce the use of paper—go paperless if possible. A paperless system helps make documents accessible digitally and enables better transparency within an organisation.


• In the case of plastic cartons and beverage cans, it is advisable to place separate bins for the same helping the waste department deal with them quicker, helping them reach recycling centres and scrap yards in Dubai quicker. This helps get that same can back to the market shelf rather than ending up in a landfill or getting incinerated.


• Try and segregate the so called trash and you will notice that it will pay you back to some extent.
  


• Most scrap metal traders in Dubai will pay you for delivering metal cans in large quantities on a regular basis. The same goes for recycling companies who can make use of paper and plastics generated at the workplace.

If you are a large organisation, it makes sense to tie up with a local recycler and reduce your carbon footprint by doing the same

Lucky Recycling is pleased to participate as a logistics partner in the EEG’s Can Collection Drive 2012

Another collection drive comes across and we at The Lucky Group of Companies are proud to extend our support.

We at The Lucky Group have always been a company that cares for both its employees and strives to improve our environmental quality while progressing towards a clean and safer place to live and work for our future generations. We do this by continually participating in local events around us here in Dubai where we have our headquarters and do so year after year providing solutions for those who help save the environment like the Emirates Environmental Group.



Extracting Aluminium Ore from Bauxite is a resource hungry and energy intensive process which needs a lot of energy to fuel the large Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF). Recycling Aluminium that already exists in the form of cans takes up only 5% of the former’s energy requirement.

The Lucky Group in Dubai technically is all about saving the environment. Our modern facilities be it our scrap metal recycling facility at Dubai and Qatar or our secondary and semi-primary aluminium alloy production facility at Jebel Ali both strive to procure, process and make available quality feedstock and processed raw materials for our clients satiating the needs of local manufacturers reducing Dubai’s carbon footprint as a whole when it comes to producing metals in the UAE.

We also abide by our firm’s environmental policy of continuously progressing towards an environmentally friendly infrastructure, including regular and continued reassessments of our physical operations, encouraging a sustainable workplace that promotes an environmentally-conscious organizational culture. This not only helps us be more efficient but also saves the environment helping us provide and promote the use of green materials for our clients.

The Lucky Group is proud to announce the launch of the region’s first-ever Copper futures contract.

Riz Shaban – Commercial Manager of Lucky Recycling accepted the invitation as a Panellist for the press conference held on Apr 19, 2012 to announce the launch of the region’s first-ever Copper futures contract established by the Dubai Gold Commodities Exchange. Following suit DGCX on Friday April 13^th finally launched the trading of copper futures.

Copper being the third most widely-used metal in the world finally made its way to The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange in the form of copper futures which until then was traded at a number of international exchanges. The relentlessly growing demand for copper from investors and the industry finally convinced the DGCX into copper futures which they think would be highly attractive to both retail and institutional buyers.

DGCX is an initiative of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), Financial Technologies (India) Limited and the Multi Commodity Exchange of India Limited (MCX). Their range of futures contracts offers participants of the physical commodities markets, such as producers, manufacturers and end users, with a sophisticated means of hedging their price risk exposure.



The Lucky Group of Companies has been on the forefront when it comes to scrap metal trading and recycling in the Middle East. With their headquarters in Dubai, UAE and recycling facilities in Dubai and Qatar; secondary aluminium alloy plant in Jebel Ali and an international trading office in Toronto and Shanghai, they strive to achieve a stronger presence in the Middle East with their sight set on the global market.

Saving the environment at work

So you run a small business with a medium-sized office and have local clients in Dubai, whom you deal with on a daily basis. How could you save the environment at work? Well, quite frankly, there is a lot that can be done and what is even better, is that these actions would help you save some money as well.

To make it easier we could split up the tasks needed to be accomplished, into the objects that we are going to deal with:

Paper: Tonnes of paper are wasted worldwide and in Dubai on a daily basis, and this is only to do with office documentation. From resumes to forms, it is not only smart, but also cost-effective to go paperless. What’s more is that it will save more storage space helping you reduce the number of files, records and documents. Always keep only what is necessary and shred the rest. Shredding is a safe and secure way to dispose office documents and most shredding companies will pass on the bales to paper mills—saving trees.

Water: Water usage especially in a city like Dubai is an important concern since it is a precious commodity. Check whether all the faucets and pipes of the toilets are secure and functional; reducing water wastage. One can always sell the old parts as brass scrap or copper scrap rather than just dumping them at a landfill.

Electricity: It is always smart to run an office without too many cabins, too many cabins mean too much wiring and that is only the beginning of your maintenance expenses. Moreover cabins add to power bills and will require split air-conditioning when compared to a studio space which is open and utilizes less lighting and cooling. Teach employees about the importance of switching equipment off when not in use—this will make a difference.

Office Equipment: Office equipment like old printers, computers that are not in use should be discarded at a recycling plant where most of them can be reused. Older equipment is not only more expensive to maintain, but will also decrease efficiency when it comes to electricity. Again, it’s wise to get them exchanged with the dealer who you are buying new equipment from rather than disposing them off in trash. At least they will end up in scrap yards in Dubai where scrap metal recyclers will make use of them.

Is Disposing Trash in one bin Cheaper than Segregating it?

I am quite sure this question must have popped up in your mind at least once; “is it really worth segregating all my trash?” If you love the environment, then you probably would not need a valid reason. Else, if you are one of those who would simply recycle because the law forces you to, then this thought would have definitely come across your mind, every single time you sat down to segregate your daily trash.



Recycling can be simply defined as the process in which used materials can be processed into new products to prevent the waste of the remainder, while reducing the consumption of virgin materials for producing other new products. Simply put, it is environmentally good to recycle. “But isn’t disposing trash together in one garbage bag cheaper?” one may ask.

Just in case you are not aware about this, but it is a fact that landfills, worldwide are filling up—and fast. The worldwide population is rising to unprecedented levels and there is no space to get rid of the trash that we generate on a day-to-day basis. This is where I come back to your question; to which the answer is a big ‘NO’.
overnments and municipalities worldwide are paying large sums of money for getting rid of humongous amounts of waste into landfills. Landfills too will keep filling up, which is why landfills owners have begun landfill-mining. Landfill mining started-off back in 1953 in Israel and the rest of the world has only begun to catch up with it recently. The reason why it has caught up only recently is because there were other more important events that took place after 1953; following which most countries forgot about the whole concept. Landfill mining involves opening up closed landfills and filtering and sorting out the trash (mainly metals) which is then packed up and tucked in once again. Doing this is profitable, since large amounts of scrap metal can be recovered and more space can be created within the landfill itself. Scrap metal recyclers would be more than glad to take in such metals which mainly consists of ferrous scrap, copper scrap and aluminium scrap; usually in the form of cans (since most people dump them along with their regular trash). But this would also depend upon several other factors such as the quality of the scrap metals.




Recycling at home, kills the problem from the root, segregating trash at its origin; and is right about the best thing one can do to save this planet. After all it is we who are stuck here on the third rock from the Sun; and there is—as of today—no other place to go.

Landfill Mining: Is it worth the trouble?

Landfill mining started-off back in 1953 in Israel and the rest of the world has only begun to catch up with it recently. The advantages and disadvantages of landfill mining are something that most corporations would not readily answer. The reason why it has caught up only recently was simply because there were other more important events that took place after 1953 after which most countries forgot about the whole concept. Landfill mining is profitable. It is known fact that more aluminium can be extracted from a landfill as compared to extracting aluminium from ores from a similar area of mined land.



Landfill mining has its advantages; it allows better aeration of the soil in the area, while the mining company recovers valuable recyclable materials which allows for less material to dump back in (creating that extra space). Most people see this as a way of protecting the environment by cleaning up the soil doing the world a favour. The reason why landfill mining has taken off is simply because it is more profitable. It is more profitable to extract a tonne of aluminium via landfill mining, than to extract ores from the earth’s crust, process it and then using power hungry (expensive) plasma arc reactors to create virgin aluminium.

Some people would say “why don’t we simply sort things out instead of dumping them in and then sorting everything out?” well that is because we as human beings lack the initiative to do the same. If all of us here in Dubai segregated our trash there would be no need to open up landfills as only organic waste would land up in there. Governments spend enormous amounts of funding on garbage recycling facilities only because the people in Dubai would simply refuse to segregate different types of recyclable items.

Metal recyclers in Dubai too suffer because of consumer misbehaviour when it comes to garbage segregation. Aluminium cans, plastics and all sorts of packaging are often dumped together only to end up at garbage recycling plant where fortunately for us, they do find their way back to the recycling companies in Dubai.


So yes landfill mining is good for us but the question that we should be asking is—why are we adding to the confusion to begin with?

Scrap copper is everywhere—You just have to look a Little Deeper

Copper since its discovery has come a long way and has found multiple uses in various industries around the globe. Copper has a long list of characteristics which is why it has found so many uses; from excellent electrical conductivity to high thermal conductivity in a variety of applications. We often come in contact with copper at various places; but since the applications of copper are usually hidden within the appliances, decor and machines that we use, it hard to find out where they actually are and how important every bit is to us in our daily lives. When such products that we use on a daily basis become old and unusable it is wise to get them exposed and then sell them off saving the environment (reducing copper mining) and making a little profit in the bargain.

Copper products existed in many forms, in the olden days. Most utensils were made from copper because it simply allowed heat to spread evenly over the bottoms of cooking utensils, making them energy efficient; allowing the food to heat up properly. As mentioned above, copper is always hidden from plain sight in most of today’s applications; given below are some of the objects you can check for copper which can be sold off as copper scrap to any scrap metal recycler in Dubai.

Decor and Fittings: Such decors and fittings unless maintained, may have lost their original copper colour and turned green due to corrosion. They may have also been painted over just to make them look presentable. Old houses or mansions with a lot of antique fittings usually have lots of copper fittings especially in the pipes and plumbing.


Old Appliances: Copper and energy efficiency always go hand in hand which means that anything to do with heating or cooling via electricity (mainly heating) would usually contain copper parts inside. Appliances such as fans, old washing machines, boilers, dryers etc. would always have copper windings which can easily be stripped off with common tools. Caution must be taken when it comes to comes to copper radiators and refrigeration equipment since these usually contain gases (or liquids) that can be harmful and must be delivered to the experts to be dealt with.

Household Wiring: Renovating? Well you have probably got gold in the renovation trash waiting to be discovered. A home renovation means that old wiring—which normally ended up with the renovation trash in a landfill—would often be replaced by a new set of improved, energy efficient, copper electrical wiring. This is why it is wise to strip the insulation off the wire and sell the copper separately; or at least separate it from the remaining wood, dry walls and old plaster—that would go together to the landfill leading to copper wastage.

Automobile Parts: Bought some new spares for your car or bike? Have a closer look into how they work and you will discover that a lot of parts use copper extensively. These parts can be sold-off to a scrap metal trader, who would deliver it to a copper recycling facility in Dubai.

Single Stream Recycling can Benefit the City of Dubai

Most of us here in Dubai have probably heard of recycling, but single stream recycling? Well, it simply refers to putting all types of recyclable materials together and let a private company handle the segregating bit.


Research shows that recycling has worked better in towns and cities abroad like in the United States when single channel recycling was introduced. No longer did people have to take the trouble to segregate different types of recyclable items and separate the trash that they were trying to get rid off on a daily basis. It became a success because there was little effort required in segregating garbage from the recyclable items and that people would quickly adapt to it; whereas normally they would dump garbage altogether and avoid the original complex recycling process as a whole.


Single stream recycling can also save money because companies that handle such recyclable items pay for those items. The government thus, no longer needs to pay landfills to get rid of such garbage.
How does this help the environment? Well, it simply speeds up the whole process because everyone at every level of the hierarchy is co-operating and when this happens, the right recyclable items get channelled onto the right path eventually reaching the manufacturers on time.




If an aluminium can reaches a scrap metal recycler in Dubai on time, it prevents the need for manufacturers to purchase virgin materials to keep their production numbers up and running. In a similar way the quicker the different types of ferrous metal scrap lands up at scrap dealers in Dubai, the lesser will be the requirement for newer and rarer earth metals across different industries.
Single stream recycling not only encourages recycling, but clears up the bottlenecks in the recycling process.

Have an old car that nobody wants?

So you ended up keeping and maintaining that old car over the years, but now with the new emission norms, it can no longer be driven. That old beauty which you have used down the years has now turned into a beast of burden that nobody wants to buy.
A lot of car lovers get stuck up in such situations where they simply cannot get rid of a vehicle. This can happen over time because they get too outdated or because their maintenance costs increase to a level that they become too expensive to own. Rising fuel costs are not too helpful in such a situation either. The next best thing that one could do is find another owner or let it just lie there in the parking lot getting covered in dust. After a couple of months, such vehicles eventually end up getting scrapped at the junk yards.



What does one do? If you love the environment, the best thing you could do, is to take your vehicle to a car recycler. Car recyclers are not scrap dealers in Dubai! They are a team of mechanics who would disassemble your car completely, in a step-by-step manner and then give you a price for the different parts individually. This helps the environment by not junking the entire car, with all the lubricants, and oils intact, which eventually leak out (including toxic substances from batteries) and damage the environment.
This apart from helping the car owner get better value also helps channel the various metals that can be used and helps them reach scrap metal recyclers in Dubai. Scrap metal traders in Dubai would then segregate the ferrous metal scrap and re-package or melt them into ingots which get delivered to manufacturers; eventually reaching the production line as a new product.

How this helps, is that it prevents the need for virgin materials that are required to build new products. Iron or steel castings and other automotive parts can be made from recycled metals preventing mining and pollution. As we all know, mining does degrade an environment to a level that it simply cannot be restored. So the next time you need to know someone who is about to junk their car, stop them and tell them what they could do and help save the environment.

Sustainability and its Outcomes!

The word sustainability has different meanings and has been defined in a multiple number of ways according to the times that these definitions were created and the situations they were created in. Today the term sustainability refers to man’s ability to sustain himself – the ecology around him –safeguarding and preserving the ecology in the same state for the generations to come.



Pollution is man’s as well as the earth’s common enemy. After the industrial revolution, the increased pace of production; fuelled by a gradually elevating level of materialism among of the masses; led to an increased level of pollution like never before. Polar icecaps began to melt and the earth is constantly being battered even today. There is simply no way to stop people and organisations from polluting the globe. What is more confusing is that at the end of it all we all will have to face the consequences of our wrong doings together. Governments today have begun to add the environment as a part of their policies, using the environment as a two-way commodity. What you give is what you get.

The environment though, has a maximum level of tolerance beyond which it loses its ability to assimilate and regenerate. Over mining or over extraction of resources from a certain place often leads to side effects which are uncontrollable and take a long time to regenerate and recover. However with the advent of recycling, we are now able to sustain the environment by reducing the amount of waste material that results from production and use of commodities. This in a way controls the balance and sustains the environment and gives us an opportunity to give back and contribute in the process.

Hence, the recycling of materials especially metals is very beneficial and helps in the sustainability process because it helps in controlling the level of virgin metal required to satiate industries. Scrap metal recyclers play a vital role by processing the scrap metals and making them available in packages for manufacturers to utilize and reuse.


We at the Lucky Group provide the highest level of services from scrap metal recycling to aluminium alloy manufacturing in Dubai adding value to numerous metal recycling companies the world over. To know more about us, kindly visit us online at: www.luckygroup.com

Lucky Group is proud to extend its sponsorship support to The 2012 ISRI Convention and Exposition

Metal recycling worldwide as we all know, is an extremely large and profitable, billion-dollar industry. The Lucky Group’s scrap metal recycling arm Lucky Recycling always has its eye on the horizon, looking out for expansion on a global scale. Conventions and expositions are a good way to meet and make new partners in the industry whilst developing long term business ties. It also offers the company a chance to display what has been achieved in the past years and helps newcomers in the industry, by propagating ideas - helping everyone (the industry) in the bargain.


The Lucky Group is proud to extend its sponsorship support to the 2012 ISRI Convention and Exposition taking place in Las Vegas Nevada, USA. The ISRI, is a Washington, DC, based trade association and represents more than 1,600 for-profit companies – ranging from small, family-owned businesses to large, multi-national corporations ­- operating at more than 6,000 facilities in the United States and 30 countries worldwide. Their members are manufacturers and processors, brokers and industrial consumers of scrap commodities, including ferrous and nonferrous metals, paper, electronics, rubber, plastics, glass and textiles. ISRI's associate members include equipment and service providers to the scrap recycling industry. Manufacturers and sellers of equipment and services – such as shredders, balers, cranes, cargo transporters, computer systems and more – who find value in promoting the scrap recycling industry through their membership in ISRI.

The 2012 ISRI Convention and Exposition takes place in Las Vegas Nevada, USA and is being held from 15^th through 19th of April, 2012 and is hosted by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI)


The Lucky Group is the leading metal recycling company in the Middle East with interests in scrap metal recycling and aluminium alloy processing. To know more about us, kindly visit us online at: www.luckygroup.com