On board waste management

As a general principle, the strategy to reduce, reuse and recycle should form the basis of the Garbage Management Plan. This waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of most waste reduction management with the aim of extracting the maximum practical benefits from products and generating the minimum amount of waste.

The following hierarchy can be used as a basis for the management of waste:

The basic management option to minimising and reducing waste on board is to manage this at source – reducing the sources of waste coming aboard. For example, reducing waste at source by urging suppliers to deliver stores with less packaging may assist with more general waste streams while requesting suppliers of specialist or hazardous materials to provide provision for their eventual safe disposal will assist in effectively managing what waste is generated aboard. Conversely, delivering waste in a uniform and standardised manner, as proposed by the ISO 21070 standard, may allow port reception facilities to more effectively receive segregated waste in readiness for recycling.

When developing procedures for the management of regulated waste streams, INTERTANKO advises Members that any such procedures are checked against their Administration’s requirements.

Furthermore, port States and regional regulatory authorities may have unilateral legislation in place for both MARPOL-regulated waste and other waste streams not regulated by MARPOL. As such, owners and operators are urged to maintain an up-to-date record of all national and regional requirements and ensure that all management procedures meet those requirements relevant to the vessel’s trading pattern.

Click here to download INTERTANKO's Guidance on Waste Management for Tankers (2nd edition)

While there remains an absence of onshore port reception facilities there will be a need to minimise the quantities of waste brought onboard ships and generated aboard. On-board waste management practices are evolving with better ship design, modern equipment and improved management practices. INTERTANKO strives to create a platform to share best practices on waste management on board in order to support the Association’s zero-pollution ambition.

Best practice and guidance shared and developed by INTERTANKO’s Members will be used to set industry standards and positively influence the shape of mandatory requirements for onboard waste management and delivery ashore. This will be achieved by effective and proactive dialogue with international (IMO), regional (EU) and national (USCG) regulatory authorities.