Zinc recovery method

Provided is a zinc recovery method comprising: an alkali melting step (102) in which a starting material (1) or the like is brought into contact with molten sodium hydroxide (5), (14), which is in a molten state, at a temperature equal to or higher than the melting point of sodium hydroxide, and zinc ferrite contained in the starting material (1) or the like is decomposed into a zinc oxide component and an iron oxide component in the molten sodium hydroxide; and a water dissolution step (103) for obtaining a zinc-containing aqueous solution (8) containing a zinc component by bringing water into contact with the sodium hydroxide, the zinc oxide component, and the iron oxide component at a temperature lower than the boiling point of water, said sodium hydroxide having the reduced temperature of the molten sodium hydroxide, and dissolving the zinc oxide component in the sodium hydroxide aqueous solution. Meanwhile, indissolvable substances (9) which are not dissolved in the sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and