Abstract: A process for recovering zinc from a zinc containing material, the process including the steps of: leaching the zinc containing material with an alkaline lixiviant comprising an aqueous mixture of NH3 and NH4Cl, or ionic equivalent, having a NH4Cl concentration of between about 10 g/L and about 150 g/L H2O and a NH3 concentration of between 20 g/l H2O and 250 g/L H2O, to produce a zinc containing leachate; stripping ammonia from the leachate to produce a stripped liquor which includes a zinc containing precipitate, the stripped liquor having a NH3 concentration of between 7 and 30 g/L H2O; and recovering the zinc from the stripped liquor.