Determination of Proper Disposal Method for Waste Casting Sands by Cost Analysis: Bursa Sample

Foundries located in Turkey’s first major 500 industrial companies, are among the sectors where waste foundry sands continuously existed. Waste foundry sands have economic value, but they are being accumulated in the foundry areas or send to landfills without being included in the recovery process, due to not being evaluated enough in our country’s conditions. However, waste foundry sands which are generally non-hazardous can be used as alternative raw material instead of aggregate in asphalt production when adequately managed. In this study, environmental and economic evaluation has been made for waste foundry sands from a foundry with a production capacity of 46.200 tons in Nilüfer, Bursa, which has been sent to landfill, cement factories and asphalt plant to be recycled or used as raw material instead of being sent directly for disposal. The cost of disposal, including the transportation of waste foundry sand to the landfill site is calculated at 851.989 TL (163.844 $), in case it is sent to cement factory it is 1.097.620 TL (211.081 $), and if it is sent to asphalt plant facilities, it costs 35.431 TL (6.814 $). This study determined that the most economical method for the foundry is asphalt plant and that long-term storage in the foundry which causes air, water and soil pollution can be prevented by minimizing disposal costs and sending waste foundry sands to the nearest and the most appropriate facility.