Publication

Quantitative assessment of the flows of materials from resource extraction to final disposal informs resource policy, energy planning, environmental science, and waste management. This article reports the worldwide technological cycle of zinc for 1994. Of the 7,800 kt of zinc contained in ore mined worldwide, 17% was lost in conversion to metal and another 17% lost or recycled in fabrication and manufacturing leaving 6,970 kt to enter use. Since only a third as much le use in the form of fit discarded products, the stock of zinc in use throughout the global economy grew substantially. Recycling captured 41% of the worldwide discard flow. The per-capita rate of zinc use was about 1.4 kg/y, and of zinc discards, 0.5 kg/y.