ZINC OXIDE PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION
About Zinc Oxide
Zinc Oxide is a part of all our lives. We encounter it everywhere, every day.
The Story of Zinc Oxide
Zinc Oxide is a part of all our lives. We encounter it everywhere, every day. From beauty products to car tyres, to electronics, fertilisers, and pharmaceuticals, zinc makes life easier and safer, and also nourishes and beautifies the body
HEALTHY GROWTH
As one of the most common elements on Earth, zinc plays a part in more than 300 enzymatic processes in our bodies – and is vital to the immune system. It is also crucial for protein and DNA synthesis, gene development, and fertility.
That is why Zinc Oxide, the most widely used zinc compound, is added to food products and supplements for both humans and animals. It is also found in fertilisers to correct soil zinc deficiency, promote healthy plant growth, and improve the nutritional status of crops.
AROUND THE HOUSE
You will find Zinc Oxide throughout the home – including the bathroom, kitchen and living room. That is because zinc is used in glass, tiles, ceramics, cookware, and sanitary ware, strengthening surfaces and adding gloss. In fact, ceramics and glass is the second-biggest end market for Zinc Oxide, using 300,000 tonnes each year.
Ceramics and glass production uses 300,000 tonnes of Zinc Oxide each year.
BODY CARE AND COSMETICS
Zinc Oxide is used in a wide variety of cosmetics from sunscreen to toothpaste, deodorant, baby ointment, and healthcare cosmetics. It is also added to pharmaceuticals such as anti-fungal creams and medicinal tapes.
LUBRICANTS
Zinc Oxide is also essential in producing more than 180 other zinc compounds. And it is used in specialised lubricants, grease and automotive engine oils to reduce engine oxidation, corrosion and wear.
OTHER APPLICATIONS
In plastics, Zinc Oxide improves resistance to sunlight degradation and fire. Other future oriented applications include varistors that protect circuits from voltage spikes. There is also increasing interest in using the compound for LEDs, transparent transistors, solar cells, liquid crystal displays, and memory devices.
Health & Environment
ZOPA has a strong commitment in protecting Health and Environment.Sustainability is a key element in our vision.This is daily demonstrated by our involvement in resources recyling, emissions reduction and responsible energy consumption. ISO 14000 certification and BAT implementation are obvious milestones within our philosophy for Environment.
This is daily demonstrated as well by our role in human and animal life preservation:
- taking care of efficient soils for crops,
- feeding animals,
- fighting zinc deficiency for children,
- protecting human skin from UV.
ZOPA is proud to take part of leading policies like “Zinc save Kids” or “Zinc nutrient initiative”.
Zinc Saves Kids
ZOPA support the Zinc Saves Kids initiative launched by the International Zinc Association (IZA)
ZOPA is proud to support the Zinc Saves Kids initiative launched by the International Zinc Association (IZA) in 2010.
The Zinc saves kids program aims at improving the survival, growth and development of undernourished children by funding UNICEF’s zinc supplementation programs.
Zinc strengthens the immune system to prevent and effectively fight diarrheal diseases which are often life-threatening for children in developing countries. A few extra milligrams of zinc every can save the lives of 450 000 children every day.
For more information: www.zincsaveskids.org
Zinc Nutrient Initiative
The Zinc Nutrient Initiative (ZNI) seeks to address the critical and linked issue of zinc deficiency in soils, crops and humans with long-term and sustainable solution of zinc-fortified fertilizers. Adding zinc oxide to fertilisers improves the health and production of crops, and ultimately it improves food security and human health.
For more information: http://www.zinc.org/zni/
Sustainability
Zinc is natural, recyclable and inherently part of our environment. It is the 17th most common element in the earth’s crust and an essential element for man, animals and plants.
Specifying zinc is an environmentally responsible choice, in line with today’s need for sustainable materials. Zinc is recyclable and can be recovered from zinc-containing products via an established recycling industry, thus finding its way into new products from the steel, rubber, agricultural and pharmaceutical industries.
Recycling of rubber tyres is becoming a reality and presents an opportunity to recover thesmall quantities of zinc they contain. The technology is presently in its infancy but regulatory pressures on end of life products is likely to advance rubber tyre recycling in coming years.