ST. PETERSBURG, June 5. /TASS/. Since the mid-20th century, around half a billion tons of plastic has been produced globally, and most of it remains in the environment, demanding urgent action, Head of the UN Environment Program Russia Office Vladimir Moshkalo said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"Almost half a billion tons of plastic have been produced in the world since the 1950s. And unfortunately, 90% of this plastic is still in the environment. Despite the fact that several developed countries say that a significant part of this plastic is recycled, I can say that no more than 10% of the plastic in the world is actually recycled," he said.

According to Moshkalo, the UN is working on a convention to combat plastic waste, including in the World Ocean. "The convention is aimed first of all at combating single-use plastic, so that we can clean up the World Ocean, protect the human body, nature and wildlife, to achieve sustainable development and natural harmony," he pointed out.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) will be held on June 5-8. This year’s theme will be "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." Scheduled events include meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF is organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is the information partner of the event.