Around 10 million tonnes of zinc are produced each year from mines in all five continents. Reserves are vast: the earths crust is estimated to contain about 224 trillion tonnes of zinc. The UK uses about 220,000 tonnes/year.

Zinc has a wide range of uses. About half is used in coatings to protect iron and steel from rust. About a quarter is combined with copper (and sometimes other metals) to make the series of alloys collectively known as brass. Further quantities are combined with aluminium to make a range of alloys which have uses ranging from automobiles to zip fasteners.

Among the smaller uses are rolled sheets of zinc for roofs and cladding of buildings as well as chemicals such as zinc oxide which is used in rubber. Small quantities of zinc are essential for human and animal nutrition and for many crops.

About 80% of the zinc currently available for recycling is actually recycled and this proportion is increasing as collection and recovery techniques are improved.

For further information contact www.zincinfocentre.org