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Beneficial Reuse of Foundry Sand
Beneficial Reuse of Foundry Sand Links
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A current barrier to Foundry environmental performance is the lack of foundry sand reuse. Approximately 10 million tons of sand is generated each year from foundries. The sand, used in the mold-making process, is generally reused directly in the mold-making process, but eventually the sand is no longer structurally suitable for foundry use. The overwhelming majority of this sand is non-hazardous and can be effectively reused in a variety of ways, including roadbeds, construction fill, and cement manufacture. However, only 1 million tons of sand are currently reused due to inefficient state policies and regulations and undeveloped markets.
In partnership with the Resource Conservation Challenge, the American Foundry Society (AFS), and Foundry Industry Recycling Starts Today (FIRST), Sector Strategies is working to increase reuse of foundry sand. There are both market and state program barriers to increased foundry sand reuse. To address state program barriers, Sector Strategies developed a document in September 2006 titled "State Toolkit for Developing Beneficial Reuse Programs for Foundry Sand." Developed in partnership with the Association of Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials as an assistance tool for states, the guide is designed to help states initiate or revise their beneficial reuse programs in a way that increases safe beneficial reuse of foundry sand. The Toolkit provides program options and concrete examples of a variety of approaches used in states to efficiently conduct beneficial reuse determinations.
State Toolkit for Developing Beneficial Reuse Programs for Foundry Sand
- Color (PDF) (64 pp, 4.5MB, About PDF)
- Black & White (PDF) (64 pp, 2.2MB, About PDF)
In December 2002, Sector Strategies also developed a document titled: Beneficial Reuse of Foundry Sand: A Review of State Practices and Regulations (PDF) (39 pp, 294kb, About PDF). This guide provides a overview of each state's regulations (current as of 2002) for beneficial reuse of foundry sand.
- Appendix A: Summaries of State Guidelines and Regulations on Reuse of Industrial By-Products (PDF) (62 pp, 260kb, About PDF)
- Appendix B: Case Studies of Beneficial Uses of Foundry Sand (PDF) (15 pp, 138kb, About PDF)
Contact
Jeffrey Kohn (kohn.jeffrey@epa.gov)
National Metal Casting Sector Point-of-Contact
(202) 566-1407