RESOLUTION MEPC.220(63)

 

Adopted on 2 March 2012

 

2012 GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF GARBAGE MANAGEMENT PLANS

 

 

 

THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE,

 

RECALLING Article 38(a) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization concerning the functions of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (the Committee) conferred upon it by the international conventions for the prevention and control of marine pollution,

 

RECALLING ALSO that Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto provides regulations for the prevention of pollution by garbage from ships,

 

NOTING that the Committee, at its thirty-eighth session, adopted the Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans by resolution MEPC.71(38),

 

NOTING ALSO that the Committee, at its sixty-second session, adopted the revised MARPOL Annex V by resolution MEPC.201(62), which is expected to enter into force on 1 January 2013,

 

NOTING FURTHER that regulation 10.2 of the revised MARPOL Annex V provides that every ship of 100 gross tonnage and above, and every ship which is certified to carry 15 or more persons and fixed or floating platforms shall carry a Garbage Management Plan based on the guidelines developed by the Organization,

 

RECOGNIZING the need to review the Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans, in light of the revised MARPOL Annex V,

 

HAVING CONSIDERED, at its sixty-third session, the draft 2012 Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans,

 

1.                       ADOPTS the 2012 Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans, the text of which is set out in the annex to this resolution;

 

2.                       INVITES Governments to apply the 2012 Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans, upon the entry into force of the revised MARPOL Annex V; and

 

3.                       REVOKES the Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans (resolution MEPC.71(38)), upon the entry into force of the revised MARPOL Annex V.

 

ANNEX

 

2012 GUIDELINES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF GARBAGE MANAGEMENT PLANS

 

For compliance with regulation 10 of the revised MARPOL Annex V

 

 

 

1                         INTRODUCTION

 

1.1                   In 2011, IMO adopted amendments to MARPOL Annex V which require that:

 

.1                       every ship of 100 gross tonnage and above, and every ship certified to carry 15  or more persons, and fixed or floating platforms shall carry a garbage management plan;

 

.2                       every ship of 400 gross tonnage and above, and every ship certified to carry 15 or more persons engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals of another Party, and every fixed or floating platform shall be provided with a Garbage Record Book; and

 

.3                       every ship of 12 metres or more in length overall, and fixed or floating platforms shall display placards which notify the crew and passengers of the ship's disposal requirements of regulations 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the Annex as applicable.

 

These provisions are included in regulation 10 to the revised MARPOL Annex V with an entry into force date of 1 January 2013.

 

1.2                   These Guidelines provide direction on complying with the requirements for a ship's garbage management plan, and are intended to assist the shipowner/operator in the implementation of regulation 10.2 of the revised MARPOL Annex V. It is assumed that the author of the garbage management plan is familiar with the requirements of the revised MARPOL Annex V and the IMO Guidelines for the Implementation of MARPOL Annex V.

 

1.3                   Shipowners and operators should also consult other available technical guidance on shipboard garbage handling such as, ISO 21070 "Standard for the Management and handling of shipboard garbage" which outlines best management practices for shipboard garbage management and, to the extent it is consistent with the revised MARPOL Annex V, should be incorporated in any garbage management plan.

 

1.4                   A ship's garbage management plan should detail the specific ship's equipment, arrangements and procedures for the handling of garbage. The plan may contain extracts and/or references to existing company instructions.

 

2                         REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS

 

2.1                   Regulation 10.2 of MARPOL Annex V reads as follows:

 

"Every ship of 100 gross tonnage and above, and every ship which is certified to carry 15 or more persons, and fixed or floating platforms, shall carry a garbage management plan which the crew shall follow. This plan shall provide written procedures for minimizing, collecting, storing, processing and disposing of garbage, including the use of the equipment on board. It shall also designate the person or persons in charge of carrying out the plan. Such a plan shall be based on the guidelines developed by the Organization and written in the working language of the crew."

 

3                         PREVENTION OF POLLUTION FROM GARBAGE

 

3.1                   To achieve cost-effective and environmentally sound results, many garbage management planners use a combination of complementary techniques to manage garbage, such as the following:

 

.1                       reduction at source;

 

.2                       reusing or recycling;

 

.3                       onboard processing (treatment);

 

.4                       discharge into the sea in those limited situations where it is permitted; and

 

.5                       discharge to a port reception facility.

 

3.2                   When requisitioning stores and provisions, shipping companies should encourage their suppliers to remove, reduce, all packaging, at an early stage, to limit the generation of garbage on board ships.

 

3.3                   When garbage is generated aboard a ship, procedures should be defined to enable the crew to sort the material that can be reused onboard the ship or recycled at an appropriate port reception facility.

 

3.4                   Ship's garbage is made up of distinct components, some of which are regulated in MARPOL Annex V, while others may be regulated locally, nationally or regionally. Each component of the garbage should be evaluated separately to determine the best management practice for that type of garbage.

 

4                         MATTERS    WHICH     SHOULD    BE     ADDRESSED    IN     THE     GARBAGE MANAGEMENT PLAN

 

4.1                   Designated person in charge of carrying out the plan

 

4.1.1             In accordance with regulation 10.2 of the revised MARPOL Annex V, the plan shall designate a person in charge of carrying out the plan. The person should ensure the garbage management plan is followed.

 

4.1.2             This person should be assisted by ship's crew to ensure that the minimization, collection, separation and processing of garbage is appropriate and efficient in all areas of the ship.

 

4.2                    Procedures for collecting garbage

 

4.2.1             Identify suitable receptacles for collection and separation¹.

   ____________________

1           Separation of garbage for the purposes of these Guidelines is considered part of the collection process.

Separation may take place at the source or at a separate designated station.

 

4.2.2             Identify the locations of receptacles and collection and separation stations.

 

4.2.3             Describe the process of how garbage is transported from the source of generation to the collection and separation stations.

 

4.2.4             Describe how garbage is to be handled between primary collection and separation stations and other handling methods relating to the following:

 

.1                       needs of reception facilities, taking into account possible local recycling arrangements;

 

.2                       onboard processing and potential reuse of garbage aboard the ship;

 

.3                       storage; and

 

.4                       discharge into the sea in those limited situations where it is permitted.

 

4.2.5             Describe the training or education programmes to facilitate collection of garbage and sorting of reusable or recyclable material.

 

4.3                    Procedures for processing garbage

 

4.3.1             Identify personnel responsible for the operation of the processing equipment.

 

4.3.2             Identify available processing devices and their capacities.

 

4.3.3             Identify the locations of processing devices and processing stations.

 

4.3.4             Identify the categories of garbage that are to be processed by each of the available processing devices.

 

4.3.5             Describe how material that can be reused or recycled is to be handled between primary processing stations and the storage or transfer stations.

 

4.3.6             Describe processing procedures used for the following:

 

.1                       needs  of  reception  facilities,  taking  into  account  available  recycling arrangements;

 

.2                       storage; and

 

.3                       discharge into the sea in those limited situations where it is permitted.

 

4.3.7             Describe  the  training  or  education  programmes  to  facilitate  the  processing  of garbage and reuse or recycling of material.

 

4.3.8             Identify standard operating procedures for the operation and maintenance of the equipment used to manage garbage. This may be done by reference to documents available on board.