Environment and sustainability in the modern foundry

A foundry works at its core with something already used: scrap metal which is melted and cast into new items. This makes the trade one of the most naturally circular crafts in industry — but it also places demands on environmental responsibility and documentation.

There are no longer foundries in Denmark which makes the country's foundries the only Danish buyers of scrap. In 2017 there were 45 foundries in the sector in Denmark of which 13 produced stainless steel while the rest produced various types of non-ferrous metal products. This means every single foundry technician is actually part of the last station before scrap becomes a new usable item.

Handling of scrap and waste is regulated by both Danish and EU rules. Companies dealing with scrap and waste must among other things be registered as waste collectors or transporters with the authorities and a foundry must keep track of its environmental approval for the processes and discharges production entails.

Denmark has a national action plan for circular economy running in the period 2020-2032 which constitutes the country's overall plan for waste prevention and management. For an industry that already lives on giving used metal new life the foundries are already well-positioned relative to this agenda.

• 01Correct sorting of scrap by alloy type is crucial for proper recycling
• 02Environmental approval sets the framework for what the foundry may discharge — and it is part of the work to comply with it
• 03Waste management (sand, slag, residual products) must be done according to the rules, not by habit
• 04Good sorting and documentation today makes it easier for the entire industry to live up to future environmental requirements

Environmental responsibility is not a sidetrack to the professional work in a foundry — it is an integrated part of it because the entire profession's raw material base is recycling. The better you understand the regulations and the logic behind them, the better you can contribute to keeping the industry a real part of the solution to the resource challenge.