Waste - Ship Generated Waste

• EU Directive 2000/59/EC on port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues
• Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Port Waste Reception Facilities) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/1809))
• Directive 2007/71/EC amends Annex 2 of Directive 2000/59/EC. It is intended to drive an improvement in port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues.

These regulations replace the Merchant Shipping (Port Waste Reception facilities) Regulations 1997 and serve to transpose EU Directive 2000/59/EC on Port Reception Facilities for Ship-Generated Waste and Cargo Residues.

• International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto (MARPOL 73/78) Annex V

Annex V: Prevention of pollution by garbage from ships (entered into force December 1998). Deals with the different types of garbage and specifies the distances from land and the manner in which they may be disposed of. The Annex also designates Special Areas (including the North Sea) where the disposal of any garbage is prohibited except food wastes. The dumping of plastics at sea is also prohibited by this Annex.

• Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1377)

These regulations implement Annex V of MARPOL 73/78. Under SI 1998/1377 the disposal of garbage overboard is prohibited with the exception of ground food waste. The Regulations apply different conditions for the disposal of waste within and outwith Special Areas as designated under Annex V.

• The Merchant Shipping Act 1995
• Animal By-Products Regulations 2003

These Regulations define International Catering Waste as any food or galley waste from vessels that have landed in countries outside the EU. International catering waste must be handled as a Category 1 Animal By-Product.

• MCA Marine Guidance Note (MGN 253 (M+F)) - Port Waste Reception Facilities Regulations 2003 (pdf file)
• MCA Marine Guidance Note (MGN 259 (M+F)) - Exemptions to the Port Waste Reception Facilities Regulations 2003 (pdf file)
• Port Waste Management Planning - A Guide to Good Practice MCA 2003 (pdf file)
• MCA Merchant Shipping Notice (MSN 1720 (M+F)) - The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage) Regulations 1998 (pdf file)
• Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee 1996 (available from IMO bookshop)

No specific consent is required by vessels, however under the Port Waste Reception Facility Regulations 2003, ships are required to:

(i) provide notification before entry into a port, of the waste they will discharge, including information on the type and quantity;

(ii) deliver their waste to port reception facilities before leaving port, unless they have sufficient storage capacity; and

(iii) pay a mandatory charge to significantly contribute to the cost of port reception facilities for ship generated waste whether they use them or not. Exemption may be granted as per Marine Guidance Note 259 where ships are engaged in "Scheduled traffic with frequent and regular port calls" and give evidence "of an arrangement ensuring the delivery of waste and payment of charges in a harbour or terminal along the ships route"

Ships must also have a Garbage Management Plan see Waste - Storage and Handling Offshore

Ports, Harbours and some terminals are required:

(i) to have adequate waste reception facilities for ship landed waste including cargo residues, noxious liquid substances and ship generated waste (including sewage);

(ii) to draw up a Waste Management Plan for approval by the MCA as per Schedule 1 of the Port Waste Reception Facilities Regulations 2003.

(iii) to have a pre-notification and mandatory charging system in place.

Ports and Harbours - Port Waste Management Plans must be approved by the MCA.

Existing facilities must submit an updated Port Waste Management Plans within 3 years of the date on which the last waste management plan (under SI 1997/3018) was submitted.

New facilities should submit a waste management plan within 9 months of commencing operations.

Subsequent plans should be submitted within 9 months of any significant change or no later than three years after the most recent submission was approved.

Not Applicable

Ships which are subject to SI 2003/1809 are open to inspection while in UK ports.

Garbage record books should be in the form specified in Merchant Shipping Notice No. 1720.

The Harbour Authority must inform the MCA in the case of a ship failing to provide notification or failing to dispose of ship-generated wastes or cargo residues in waste reception facilities.

Harbour Authorities which fail to provide waste reception facilities, prepare a waste management plan will be liable to a fine or conviction on indictment to a fine.

Ships masters in contravention of the regulations and ships masters are also liable to conviction.

As above ships are also liable to inspection and detention in port under these regulations.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is seeking views on proposals to regulate sewage and garbage from shipping through the draft Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage and Garbage from Ships) Regulations 2008. These regulations will implement Annex IV and Annex V of MARPOL 73/78 in the UK. This consultation closed on 7 July 2008.

None at present