What Is MARPOL Annex V? A Guide to Garbage Pollution from Ships

Annex V special areas include the Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea, Gulfs area, North Sea, Antarctic area and Wider Caribbean Region.

Fixed and Floating Platforms

Annex V imposes particularly strict requirements on fixed and floating platforms.

Food waste may be discharged from platforms located more than 12 NM from nearest land, and from ships alongside or within 500 m of them, only when the food waste has been comminuted or ground to the required standard.

Exceptions

Regulation 7 provides limited exceptions, including garbage discharge or accidental loss when necessary for:

• Securing the safety of the ship or persons on board;
• Saving life at sea;
• Situations resulting from damage to the ship or equipment; and
• Certain accidental losses of fishing gear.

These exceptions are subject to the conditions specified in Annex V.

Garbage Placards

Under Regulation 10: Ships 12 metres or more in length → Garbage placards required. Placards inform crew and passengers about applicable garbage discharge requirements.

Garbage Management Plan

A Garbage Management Plan is required for:

Ships of 100 GT and above; or

Ships certified to carry 15 or more persons;

as well as fixed or floating platforms.

The plan covers procedures for minimizing, collecting, storing, processing and disposing of garbage.

Garbage Record Book

A Garbage Record Book (GRB) is required for:

Ships of 400 GT and above; or

Ships certified to carry 15 or more persons engaged in applicable voyages to ports or offshore terminals under another Party's jurisdiction;

and fixed or floating platforms.

Entries include information such as the date and time, ship's position, garbage category and estimated amount discharged or incinerated.

The Garbage Record Book must normally be retained on board for at least two years after the last entry.

Reception Facilities

Regulation 8 requires Parties to provide adequate port and terminal reception facilities for garbage without causing undue delay to ships.

This allows garbage that cannot legally be discharged at sea to be retained onboard and delivered ashore.

Port State Control

Under Regulation 9, Port State control may inspect a ship when there are clear grounds to believe that the master or crew are not familiar with essential garbage-pollution-prevention procedures.

PSC may therefore examine the ship's:

• Garbage Management Plan;
• Garbage Record Book;
• Placards;
• Garbage segregation and storage arrangements; and
• Crew familiarity with garbage procedures.

Key Takeaways

The most important MARPOL Annex V rules to remember are:

Plastics → discharge prohibited

3 NM → comminuted or ground food waste outside special areas

12 NM → untreated food waste outside special areas

12 NM → comminuted or ground food waste within special areas

12 m length → placards

100 GT / 15+ persons → Garbage Management Plan

400 GT / 15+ persons on applicable voyages → Garbage Record Book

MARPOL Annex V makes garbage management a shipboard responsibility from the moment waste is generated until it is properly processed, legally discharged or delivered to a shore reception facility.