MARPOL Annex V Amendments now effective as of 1 January 2013, regarding garbage disposal at sea

Amendments to Annex V of MARPOL, which addresses the disposal of garbage from ships, have gone into effect as of 1 January 2013. MARPOL was adopted under the name International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships with the goal of limiting ship-borne pollution by restricting operational pollution and reducing the possibility of accidental pollution. Annex V bans any type of plastic disposal at sea. The new amendments to this annex now prohibit all types of garbage disposal at sea, including food waste, with the exemption under specific circumstances regarding food waste, animal carcasses, cargo residues contained in wash water and environmental friendly cleaning agents. As a result of these regulations more and more ships will have to dispose of their ship-generated waste to reception facilities ashore. 

For an overview of Annex V, please click here.

Category: Pollution