to themselves as “the world’s original recycler.” Te saying is perfect for a bumper sticker, but metalcasters have a problem when it comes to a deeper discussion of environmentally sustainable practices. Te industry is conscious of reducing wastes, reduc- ing costs and fulfilling a vital role in industrial sustainability, but such efforts often fall on deaf ears of local communities, government officials and customers. Because a reduction in waste or
M
decrease in consumption is financially beneficial does not make it any less environmentally friendly. Metalcast- ers need to be aware that success- fully implementing sustainability programs can make economic sense
any in the metalcasting industry refer
and also improve relations with their neighbors. Fortunately, metalcasting has a number of inherent positives in regards to sustainability, which is a great way to begin a conversation on the topic of going green. “Tere isn’t another industry, in
terms of raw materials, that recycles as much as we do,” said Mike Lenahan, CEO of Resource Recovery Corpora- tion, Coopersville, Mich., and presi- dent of AFS-FIRST (Foundry Indus- try Recycling Starts Today). “Look at the national average for household recycling. Te numbers are between 22-30%. In addition to recycling foundry sand within the casting pro- cess, a foundry with a strong beneficial use program may be recycling as much as 95% of its discarded sands and slags. Tat’s incredible. “On top of that, guess what they’re
consuming as feed stock? Tey’re accepting somebody’s old washing machine or a 20-year-old engine block that’s otherwise useless and turning it into something brand new.” In addition to conversations with
the surrounding community and local government, customers are beginning to ask suppliers about sustainability and corporate respon- sibility, and metalcasters, if they aren’t already, will need to prepare an answer. Buyers want to know a supplier’s plan to thrive for the foreseeable future. It’s about risk management— the supply chain won’t break when a metalcaster operates as expected.
Making the Most of Metal Te metalcasting industry reuses
huge amounts of scrap from other
28 | MODERN CASTING June 2014
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