Since the beginning, metal recycling has been an essential component of foundry operations.
Matter cannot be created or destroyed, only converted. Foundry workers know this all too well. A cast steel foundry incorporated the concept of recycling long before the green revolution came to fruition. Since the early ages of metal work, materials have been salvaged and reused through a process of melting and forming.
Historically, foundries relied on recycled materials to enhance their resource planning and to achieve more economic viability. From scrap metal to reusable sand casted molds, foundries have always considered recycling as a necessary component of survival.
The process of casting involves melting old metal objects (or raw materials) into new metal objects. Whether it’s raw material harnessed from the earth or metal removed from an automobile, it is of use to a foundry. Even mold casting materials have their place in recycling. Foundries not only take advantage of material savings but also energy conservation. The more recycling that occurs the less need to waste energy mining or acquiring new material.
