Sands from ferrous (iron and steel) and aluminum facilities constitute more than 90 percent of available sands and are the generally the best candidates for recycling. These sands have been the subject of many research projects, as well as having a history of use in construction projects of various types. However, innovative foundries of many types have found recycling options for their sands. Other nonferrous sands, or mixed sand streams, may be recyclable if they meet the environmental testing requirements of their state regulatory agency and the performance requirements of the marketplace.

As with any material, transportation costs are generally the highest cost factor in recycling foundry sands. The most economically sustainable options for recycling foundry sand will generally match the volume and characteristics of the foundry sand with nearby businesses and construction projects. Foundry sand is a highly engineered material whose quality control is critical for the integrity of the cast part.  Foundries spend significant resources monitoring and testing their sand systems so that the casting sands are the same day after day. Because foundry sand is a uniformly graded fine aggregate, most recycling applications take advantage of those properties.  Due to its consistency and engineering properties, foundry sand can be superior to other types of granular materials for certain end uses.  In other instances, foundry sands will provide comparable performance at lower cost.  For more information on performance of metalcasting sands in common applications, please visit the Applications section of the website.