MARITIME SERVICES | MARPOL 32 nonstop 4/2006 FLOTSAM. Thrown from board into the sea, it is <strong>of</strong>ten washed ashore somewhere completely different. Photo: Mauritius
Waste Overboard? Proper waste disposal is <strong>of</strong> central signifi cance for the safety <strong>of</strong> crew and cargo, the environment and, last but not least, the image <strong>of</strong> the shipping company. At the <strong>GL</strong> Academy, experts are on hand to refresh the knowledge and skills <strong>of</strong> the participants Green, grey and brown refuse bins, yellow disposal bags, special containers for paper, green glass and white glass are waiting in the towns. And they are regularly collected by refuse collectors. Getting rid <strong>of</strong> refuse is no problem for landlubbers. Things are a bit more difficult on the high seas. Where can a captain dump his plastic bottles when at that moment he is cruising between Kiribati and Nauru? What to do with all the greasy cleaning rags, the banana skins, the oil residues from the engine room, and the used hypodermics from the sickbay? “Waste overboard” is certainly one answer – but not a very environmentally friendly one. Seals perish in plastic foil, and fishes get caught in bags or die from swallowing splinters <strong>of</strong> glass. But the safety <strong>of</strong> the crew and cargo too is at risk. Chemicals that are not disposed <strong>of</strong> in the proper manner can lead to fires and explosions, while bits <strong>of</strong> plastic floating in the waves can clog up cooling water inlets or block the propeller. Apart from that, the simple throw-away solution is completely illegal in many cases. Laws are in place on all levels to restrict the disposal <strong>of</strong> waste from ships. The International Maritime Organization, each flag state, every coastal nation, ports and shipowners, associations such as INTERTANKO, the International Council <strong>of</strong> Cruise Lines (ICCL), the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) and the International Chamber <strong>of</strong> Shipping (ICS) – have all issued their own recommendations and regulations on waste management. In this tangled web <strong>of</strong> legislation, it is difficult to keep a clear overview. Exchange across Industry Sectors The necessary clarity is given by the “Waste Management” seminar <strong>of</strong>fered by the <strong>GL</strong> Academy. Henning Gramann, environmental engineer and specialist for maritime waste management at Germanischer Lloyd, conducts this course for the ships’ masters and crews <strong>of</strong> merchant ships and cruise liners, for the staff <strong>of</strong> port reception facilities and disposal companies, and also for plant manufacturers. The seminar’s objective is to inform the participants about the statutory and technical fundamentals as well as new developments in waste disposal. In addition, checks by the authorities, the obligation for reporting and recording disposal actions, and optimization <strong>of</strong> waste management activities on board are also on the agenda. This one-day seminar in Hamburg <strong>of</strong>fers the participants from a wide range <strong>of</strong> fields many opportunities for an exchange <strong>of</strong> experience, and also throws up topical issues that stimulate controversial discussions. Tons <strong>of</strong> Sludge, Cooking Oil and Wood Every day, a 2100 TEU container ship with a main engine <strong>of</strong> 12,500 kilowatts uses up 53,000 litres <strong>of</strong> fuel and 140 litres <strong>of</strong> lubricating oil. The “ship’s leftovers” include two tons <strong>of</strong> Photo: Jorgen Udvang – FOTOLIA MARPOL | MARITIME SERVICES oil residues, 5 to 10 cubic metres <strong>of</strong> oily bilge water, 160 tonnes <strong>of</strong> carbon dioxide, 0.9 tonnes <strong>of</strong> carbon monoxide, 4.3 tonnes <strong>of</strong> sulphur compounds, and 2.7 tonnes <strong>of</strong> nitrogen oxides. And such a cargo ship is one <strong>of</strong> the more economical vessels. Added to this, you have the leftovers from the messroom and galley, the empty tins <strong>of</strong> paint, dunnage wood, shrink-wrap, cargo remainders, ... The boom in shipping is making it all the more important to ensure that these remnants do not end up in the sea. The oceans are largely unexplored. We know more about the moon than about the icy depths. But one thing is sure: whatever is put into the sea will pop up again somewhere, sometime. For example, a packet <strong>of</strong> crisps was found in Antarctica. Its best-before date had long since elapsed, so it had probably been drifting about for many years. Such a plastic bag takes years to decompose. Even a garment <strong>of</strong> natural wool needs a whole year to decay, treated wood takes 13 years, a tin is estimated to last a century, and plastic bottles over 450 years. With the aim <strong>of</strong> protecting the SHANGHAI. oceans, the International Maritime A single-hull Organization tanker under (IMO) construction. formulated MARPOL as a globally binding convention to prevent marine pollution by ships. The basic principle <strong>of</strong> MARPOL Annex V, for instance, is to make sure that, <strong>of</strong> all the waste produced by ships, as little as possible passes into the sea. Instead, the waste is to be transferred to port reception facilities. Tighter Regulations All seafaring nations have pledged to observe MARPOL. From the viewpoint <strong>of</strong> some states, the restrictions go too far, but many other countries believe the requirements STAPLE GOODS. Full containers with on-board wastes wait at the dock for collection. nonstop 4/2006 33
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