Garbage

Definition

The term garbage includes all food waste, domestic waste, operational waste, plastic, cargo residue, incinerator ashes, cooking oil, fishing gear and animal carcasses that is generated through the normal use of the ship and that is regularly disposed of.

Ban on disposal at sea

Disposal of garbage at sea is prohibited for all ships within Sweden’s territorial waters and the Swedish exclusive economic zone. For Swedish ships, there is a total ban on disposal of garbage at sea, regardless of the ships whereabouts.

Disposal of garbage at sea in special areas (e.g. Baltic Sea)

Despite the general ban on disposal at sea, the following waste types can be disposed of at sea in special areas under certain conditions if the ship is under way.

• Food waste can be disposed of if the ship is further than 12 nautical miles from the nearest landmass under the condition that the food waste is grinded.

• For disposal at sea of cargo residues, all of the following conditions (1-4) must be fulfilled:

1.  Cargo residues can not be harmful for the marine environment in accordence with the criterias in resolution MEPC.219(63).
2. The port of departure, as well as the next port of call, has to be within the same special area and the ship does not leave this are under any part of their voyage to the next port of call.
3. The port of departure, as well as the next port of call does not have adequate port reception facilities for the cargo residues.
4. The disposal takes place as far away as possible from the nearest land mass. Disposal closer than 12 nautical miles to the nearest land mass is prohibited.

Cleaning agents or additives in water used for cleaning the ship deck or external surfaces can not be harmful for the marine environment in accordance with the criteria’s in resolution MEPC.219(63).

Disposal of garbage at sea outside special areas

Despite the general ban on disposal at sea, the following waste types can be disposed of at sea outside special areas under certain conditions.

• Food waste can be disposed of at sea if the ship is further than 3 nautical miles from the nearest landmass under the condition that the food waste is grinded or pulverized. Unprocessed food waste can be disposed of at sea if the disposal takes place 12 or more nautical miles from the nearest land mass.

• Cargo residues can be disposed of at sea if the ship is 12 or more nautical miles from the nearest land mass. The cargo residues can not be harmful for the marine environment in accordance with the criteria’s in resolution MEPC.219(63).
  
  
• Disposal of animal carcasses should be done as far away as possible from the nearest land mass as possible in accordance with resolution MEPC.219(63).

Cleaning agents or additives in water used for cleaning cargo holds, deck or external surfaces can not be harmful for the marine environment in accordance with the criteria’s in resolution MEPC.219(63).

Harmful for the marine environment and classification of solid bulk residues

The guidelines to Annex V (resolution MEPC. 219 (63)) present information about the factors defining if cargo residues are harmful for the marine environment. In accordance with UN´s globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS), 7 parameters is used to assess the noxiousness for the marine environment. The sender of the cargo is responsible for the classification and labelling of the cargo which should be done using the previously mention 7 parameters as well as a part of the declaration needed in accordance with section 4.2 in the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code (ISMBC code). For some products (e.g. metals and organometallic compounds), annex 9 and 10 in GHS has to be used to interpret criteria’s correctly. 

Additional regulations

All ships and vessels, 12 meters long or more, are obligated to have signs that inform on how garbage is handled on board the ship.

Ships with a gross tonnage of at least 100 as well as all ships certified for 15 people or more are obligated to have a waste management plan, which shall contain routines for minimizing, collecting and treatment of garbage.

All ships with a gross tonnage of 400 and that is used in international traffic as well as all ships and vessels certified for 15 people or more must have a garbage record book in which all disposals at sea, waste delivery to port and incineration on board shall be documented.