Dive Brief:

• TRC Cos., an engineering management firm based in Lowell, MA, is using an innovative method for lining landfills: foundry sands.
• Instead of taking up space at the site, the company tried recycling the cost-effective material as a liner. 
• The discovery stemmed from a collaboration with Wisconsin Foundry Inc. (WFI); the companies determined that damp, packed sands maintain a low permeability, which makes an effective barrier in landfills.

Dive Insight:

In May 2014, the project was granted approval from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, allowing for the use of foundry sands as a lining material. Previously, foundry sands were used in construction and agriculture, and to cap landfills. 

Doug Genthe, managing principal at TRC, said the group is preparing to install its first liner, outside of the test pads.