ST. PETERSBURG, June 20. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested launching projects to recover valuable components from millions metric tons of harmful industrial waste at the plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"We have accumulated millions of tons of industrial and mining enterprises waste over the past decades, certainly, they harm the environment and the people, create problems. I suggest thinking of launching special projects, to recover valuable components from such waste," Putin said.

Technologies are available in this regard and they should be used, the president added.