Sand reclaimer Finn Recycling wins first international deals in Germany – Central European foundries are looking for a way to reduce emissions and increase recycling

Finn Recycling Oy, based in Urjala, announced today that it has received its first commercial order for sand reclamation services in Germany.

Siempelkamp Giesserei starts reusing its foundry sand in the manufacture of casting molds in Krefeld.

Costs are saved, recycling increases

The Siempelkamp foundry uses almost 1 tons of casting sand per day and already recycles around 000 percent of the sand. Thanks to the collaboration, the recycling rate will increase.

Disposing of used foundry sand in landfills is very expensive, and the space available for this is becoming increasingly scarce in Germany.

“We are very pleased to have found an innovative partner like Finn Recycling, with whom we will create solutions that support our Mission Green goal and closing material loops,” said Siempelkamp Giesserei CEO. Georg Geier comment.

Finn Recycling has patented technology

Finn Recycling has been developing its unique sand recovery solution for a long time.

A business is being set up at the old Nuutajärvi glass factory that could solve the environmental crisis caused by sand dredging: "We intend to grow into the world's largest sand recycler"

In Germany, the company has a production unit that promotes research and product development together with the University of Freiberg.

Sand reclaimed using Finn Recycling's patented solution is as good or better in quality as virgin sand, and can be reused as is in the foundry process.

The company has a sand regeneration plant in Nuutajärvi, where sand from nearby foundries is recycled and regenerated. The sand is first washed, then heated and cooled in two lines.

In 2021, Finn Recycling put its first modular sand reclamation unit into operation. The company aims to export the technology of mobile units to global markets.

“Germany is one of the most important markets in our growth plans,” CEO of Finn Recycling Kalle Härkki says.

Sand as a service

Finn Recycling's Sand As A Service (SAAS) solution offers foundries sustainable savings compared to current practices in the foundry industry. Savings are generated by purchasing virgin sand and disposing of less used sand, as well as reducing transportation and energy costs.

Since the recovery and recycling of used sand is offered as a service, it also reduces the capital tied up in foundry operations.

"We want to enable new thinking in the foundry industry and make sand regeneration an essential part of the business. We offer foundries a fast, modular and environmentally friendly solution that reduces the need for investment and saves the foundries' operating costs significantly," says Härkki.

The world is running out of the right kind of sand

Sand is the world's second most used natural resource after water.

In addition to carbon dioxide emissions, sand mining has several environmental impacts, such as accelerated erosion, air and groundwater pollution, and a decrease in biodiversity.

The global foundry industry uses over 100 million tons of sand annually without recycling the used sand generated in the process. This model is unsustainable for both the environment and the foundry industry.

Finn Recycling's sand reclamation solution significantly reduces the need to extract new, depleting sand resources and the carbon dioxide emissions from sand use. In addition, sand reclamation significantly reduces the amount of sand used and the need for landfills.

Finn Recycling received last fall An eight million euro capital loan from the Climate Fund.

Text: Elina Saarinen/ Uusiouutiset-magazine

Photo: Finn Recycling. At the signing ceremony of the cooperation agreement, on the right is Kalle Härkki, CEO of Finn Recycling Oy, in the middle is Georg Geier, CEO of Siempelkamp Giesserei, and on the left is Dirk How, CEO of Siempelkamp.