Waste and litter

The MARPOL Annexes on garbage and sewage are long time implemented in many countries and companies. Yet gaps frequently appear in the onboard management or in the availability of reception facilities and even new issues emerges, such as the plastic littered ocean gyros. Sewage has recently also risen higher on the agenda, in specific for the cruise industry regarding management and reception facilities in the Arctic, Mediterranean or Baltic area.

In other arenas the waste technologies are still progressing and assessments must frequently be updated. This applies in particular regarding the drilling rigs and ships. A recurring matter has been the discharge of waste from cruise ships (legally compliant) relatively close to recreational areas creating public outcries in the Baltic region.