The metal casting industry generates foundry sand. Foundries purchase new, unprocessed sand to create casting molds. Tongliao foundry sand is reused multiple times within the foundry. This reuse eventually renders the sand unsuitable for use in casting molds, and some of the sand is continuously removed and replaced with raw sand.

Foundry and foundry sand recycling operators should consult with regulatory agencies to ensure that the intended use complies with beneficial use and waste management plans, and that the sand's chemical and physical properties meet applicable environmental restrictions, engineering performance standards, and other requirements.

The Environmental Protection Agency's primary role in managing non-hazardous solid waste, through both regulatory and non-regulatory means to encourage behavior change for improved material management and environmental protection, includes providing technical assistance and assessing beneficial uses.

Risk Assessment of Tongliao Casting Sand in Soil-Related Applications: Evaluating the potential risks of using silicon-based foundry waste sand produced by steel and aluminum foundries, and encouraging beneficial use, as the concentrations of components found in the silicon-based casting sand from steel and aluminum foundries are below health and environmental benchmarks.