International delegates have convened in Kenya in the hopes of making further progress towards a landmark treaty to fight global plastic pollution.

Addressing the first day of the talks in the capital, Nairobi, on Monday, Kenyan President William Ruto said that time is running out to reach a deal before the end of 2023, a deadline set in March of last year.

The meeting is taking place at the headquarters of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) as leaders try to address the scourge of pollution resulting from more than 400 million metric tonnes of plastic waste produced each year.

The UNEP says less than 10 percent of plastic waste is recycled, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature said at least 14.