MARPOL Garbage Regulations

The MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships) Convention sought to eliminate and reduce pollution from ships into sea.

Under Annex V of the Convention, garbage includes all kinds of food, domestic and operational waste, excluding fresh fish, generated during the normal operation of the vessel and liable to be disposed of continuously or periodically.

The table below gives an overview or the requirements as per January 2013.

The special areas established under Annex V are:

·      ·  the Mediterranean Sea

·      ·  the Baltic Sea Area

·      ·  the Black Sea area

·      ·  the Red Sea Area

·      ·  the Gulfs area

·      ·  the North Sea

·      ·  the Wider Caribbean Region and

·      ·  Antarctic Area

Every disposal to the sea or to a shore side reception facility and incineration operations should be recorded in the Garbage Record Book.

All ships of 400 gross tonnage and above and every ship certified to carry 15 persons or more will have to carry a Garbage Management Plan, to include written procedures for collecting , storing, processing and disposing of garbage, including the use of equipment on board. The Garbage Management Plan should designate the person responsible for carrying out the plan and should be in the working language of the crew.