Buck Company: Committed to Sustainability and Environmental-Friendliness
Foundries: Starting the Recycling Trend
The foundry industry’s commitment to recycling and sustainability runs deep. Metalcasters are some of the world’s first recyclers. For centuries, foundries have been making new metal objects by remelting old ones. In fact, the oldest existing casting is a copper frog made in Mesopotamia and dating back to 3200 B.C.
Since you’re never more than 10 feet from a casting, and castings are found in 90% of durable goods, including in brownie pans, water pumps, chairs, golf clubs, wheels, car brakes, and more, it makes good business sense that recycling and the foundry industry are so closely intertwined.
You might think that with a lot of production comes a lot of waste and byproduct. However, that isn’t the case; the majority of byproduct and “older” materials get recycled into new things! In fact, the American Foundry Society (AFS) found that:
- Metalcasters use and reuse almost 100 million tons of sand each year
- Using recycled metals to make castings requires 95% less energy than if making casting from raw materials
31.5 billion pounds of steel are recycled by foundries every year.- And, did you know that every pound of steel recycled saves 5450 BTUs of energy? The 31.5 billion pounds recycled each year would be enough energy to light all of the homes in Chicago for 1 year.
- Recycling steel reduces air pollution by 85%, water use by 40%, water pollution by 97%, and mining waste by 97%.*
Buck Company: Continuously Innovating to Reduce Environmental Impact
At Buck Company, we continually look for ways to improve our processes and approach so we can reduce our environmental impact. One way we do this is by using recycled metal and sand to produce castings, which enables us to reduce the need for raw materials and the burden on landfills. In fact, every year we use 400 tons of reclaimed core sand to make new products. We also re-use 150,000 tons of foundry sand each year and recycle 15 million pounds of steel scrap. We are proud to say that we have NO process water discharge from our facility.
The AFS reports that the foundry industry recycles at all phases of the metalcasting process; there isn’t a point at which materials aren’t being reused. Buck Company is proud to be a member of the AFS and to be committed to its value of recycling. In addition to the above, we also:
- Purchase recycled-content materials and components as our feedstock;
- Use and reuse a variety of materials within the melting and molding stages;
- Produce recyclable products for our customers; and
- Supply secondary markets with usable by-products generated by our facilities.
Our Earth is a precious resource, and helping to protect it is just one reason why we choose to be an environmentally-friendly foundry.
Earth Day 2022: Getting Involved
Buck Company is proud to once again participate in Sahd Metal Recycling’s Earth Day 2022 event and highlight our dedication to recycling and sustainability. Previously, our participation included in-person events at Sahd Metal Recycling’s facility with school students, Boy Scout troops, Girl Scout troops, and the community. During their time with us, our visitors learned how to make a mold and pour tin to form a casting. This year, we are participating virtually but are still just as excited to be a part of this event, and this day.
Get involved in Sahd Metal Recycling’s Earth Day event and discover what you can do to be environmentally friendly too.
*Source: American Foundry Society