Abstract: A process which improves the environmental performance of primary non-ferrous metal smelters by reducing carbon emissions, providing enhanced energy utilization, improving consumption efficiencies, and improving worker safety. The smelters include those that smelt nickel, copper and zinc. The process includes a step of drying feedstock prior to the addition of a product conditioning solution that includes saccharides as a primary ingredient. Sucrose and fructose are preferred saccharides. A base saccharide solution may be prepared by either diluting a concentrated saccharide syrup (75 to 85 brix), or by dissolving a dried powdered saccharide in water to a concentration that yeilds a syrup of between 20 and 30 Brix, more preferentially 25 Brix. The Brix may be measured with any commercially available refractometer capable of measuring the Brix of sugar solutions.