Zinc is also used in alloys such as brass, nickel silver and aluminium solder. Zinc oxide is widely used in the manufacture of very many products such as paints, rubber, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, plastics, inks, soaps, batteries, textiles and electrical equipment.

The pure metal cannot be used in stressed applications due to low creep-resistance. For these reasons most uses of zinc are after alloying with small amounts of other metals or as a protective coating for steel. Manufacturing of other metals such as brass and galvanized iron, batteries, rust-proof paints.

Galvanized steel is the main source of secondary zinc, both in the galvanizing process and in the remelting of galvanized steel. It can be easily recycled with other scrap steel in the electric arc furnace (EAF) for steel production.