MARPOL Part V
Annex V: Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships
MARPOL Annex V is made into UK law by The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships) Regulations 2020.
Application
MARPOL Annex V applies to ships of all sizes, commercial and private. It applies to UK ships at all times, and other ship while they are in UK waters.
What is garbage?
Garbage means all kinds of food wastes, domestic wastes and operational wastes, all plastics, cargo residues, incinerator ashes, cooking oil, fishing gear, and animal carcasses generated during the normal operation of the ship…except those substances which are defined or listed in other Annexes to the present Convention.
Fresh fish, and fish parts, generated as a result of fishing or fish-farming are exempted.
Categories of garbage
The following categories of garbage are recorded in the garbage record book:
A - Plastic
B - Food waste
C - Domestic waste
D - Cooking oil*
E - Incinerator ashes
F - Operational wastes
G - Animal carcasses
H - Fishing gear
I - E-waste
J - Cargo residues (non-HME)
K - Cargo residues (HME)
*Cooking oil means any type of edible oil or animal fat used or intended to be used for the preparation or cooking of food, but does not include the food itself that is prepared using these oils. So there is no need to dispose of a fried fish as if it were cooking oil.
Only the following can ever be discharged overboard (except in emergency situations):
food waste
solid bulk cargo residues which are not harmful to the marine environment (HME)
animal carcasses
cleaning agents or additives which are not HME
Mixtures/contamination
If garbage is mixed with or contaminated by other substances prohibited from discharge or having different discharge requirements, the more stringent discharge requirements apply.
What does comminuted/ground mean?
Comminuted/ground food waste will pass through a screen with a mesh with openings no greater than 25mm square.
Discharge of garbage outside special areas
To discharge garbage a ship must be:
en route, and as far as practicable from the nearest land*
for comminuted/ground food waste, no less than 3 NM from the nearest land
for non-comminuted/ground food waste, no less than 12 NM from the nearest land
for non-harmful cargo residues**, no less than 12 NM from the nearest land
for animal carcasses, as far as practicable from the nearest land
*There is an exception to this in the regulations; when keeping the food on board would pose an imminent health risk to persons onboard.
**The classifications of cargoes are given in Appendix 1 of Annex V. Harmful residues cannot be discharged.
Bulk cargoes
Shippers of bulk cargoes must provide a declaration as to whether the cargo is harmful to the marine environment.
Discharge of garbage within special areas
The ship must be as far as practicable from the nearest land, but not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land or the nearest ice shelf*
Food waste must be comminuted or ground and contaminated by no other garbage type
Discharge of introduced avian products, including poultry and poultry parts, is not permitted in the Antarctic area unless it has been treated to be made sterile
For cargo residues, the regulations force a ship to only discharge cargo residues if no other options exist:
They must not contain any substances classified as harmful to the marine environment
Cleaning agents or additives contained in hold washing water must not include any substances classified as harmful to the marine environment
Both the port of departure and the port of destination must be within a special area, and the ship must not transit outside of a special area between these ports
No adequate reception facilities must be available at these ports
Discharge must be as far as practicable from the nearest land or the nearest ice shelf (not less than 12 miles)
Cleaning agents or additives contained in deck and external surfaces wash water may be discharged only if these substances are not harmful to the marine environment
*There is an exemption to these regulations for the Wider Caribbean Special Area; there ground/comminuted food may be discharged more than 3 NM from the nearest land.
Special areas under Annex V
Note that all but the last three are common to Annex I. A good way to remember these is that many of them are almost landlocked.
the Mediterranean Sea area
the Baltic Sea area
the Black Sea area
the Red Sea area
the Gulfs area
the Antarctic area
the North Sea area
the Wider Caribbean Region
the Gulf of Mexico
The Polar Code (Part II-A)
The polar code contains the addition that fast ice is treated the same as land (i.e. subject to the 12 mile distance) and that discharges should be as far as possible from ice concentrations of 1/10 or more, and that food waste must not be discharged onto ice.
Under the Polar Code the Arctic is given the same protection as the Antarctic region; while it isn’t a special area under MARPOL, it is a de-facto special area under the Polar code.
Documents
There is no certificate required under Annex V, only the following:
Garbage management plan
Ships over 100GT, or permitted to carry 15 or more persons, must have a garbage management plan. This is normally incorporated into the SMS. The format must be approved by the MCA. The GMP contains procedures, policies and information on equipment, and designates persons responsible.
Garbage record book
Ships over 400GT, or permitted to carry 15 or more persons, must carry and complete a garbage record book. Ships not required to carry a garbage record book must record certain discharges and accidental losses of garbage in their log book. The garbage record book may be an electronic document, provided it has been approved.
Every discharge, accidental loss or incineration of garbage must be recorded in the garbage record book and signed by the officer in charge. Each completed page must be signed by the master of the ship. Any accidental discharge must also be reported to flag state and coastal state.
The garbage record book, and receipts for garbage landed to shore facilities, must be kept onboard for at least two years from the date of the last entry. If a short facility refuses to provide a receipt, create your own, keep that and report to flag that you have done so.
Placards
Ships of 12m or more in length must display placards notifying crew and passengers of the requirements for garbage disposal. Generally this means on the bridge, in the galley, in garbage processing areas and in mess rooms at a minimum. Company procedures for disposal of garbage should form part of the safety induction.
There are two additional regulations, relating to the provision of facilities for vessels visiting Antarctica. Ports where ships leave from to visit Antarctica, or call at having visited Antarctica, must ensure that as soon as practicable adequate facilities are provided for the reception of all garbage from all ships
Flag states must ensure that all ships entitled to fly their flag, before entering the Antarctic area, have sufficient capacity on board to retain all garbage while operating in the area and have made arrangements to discharge this garbage at a reception facility after leaving the area.
Obviously, this means that a UK ship visiting Antarctica must keep all garbage onboard, and make arrangements to have it landed on leaving the area.
MCAQs
What documents are required onboard a 5000GT cross-channel ferry licensed to carry 3000 persons, under Annex V?
You want to discharge some comminuted food waste, but a plastic spoon got into it. Can you discharge it? Why not?
Explain the discharge requirements for food waste within a special area
Explain the requirements for food waste outside a special area
What special areas did your last ship transit?