Zinc is widely used to galvanise steel and iron, putting a protective layer over it to make the metals non-corrosive.
But the process creates a lot of waste, and recycling zinc is more emissions-intensive than mining it in the first place.
It's a problem Jonathan Ring went back to university to solve, working on it for his masters at the University of Canterbury under engineer Aaron Marshall.
Together the pair co-founded Zincovery - which recycles zinc dust back its pure form.
Jonathan joins Kathryn to explain how Zincovery's technology works and their plans for scaling up.
Zincovery co-founders Jonathan Ring and Aaron Marshall in the lab (left) and with the finished product. Photo: Supplied
