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MARPOL Annex V — Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships

Universal plastics ban, 25 mm food comminution, 3 NM / 12 NM distance matrix, color-coded stations, and GRB Parts I & II.

9 min read
Intermediate
Safety
Key Principles at a Glance 6 points
  • MARPOL Annex V applies universally to all ships; it issues no statutory certificate, relying on mandatory Placards, the Garbage Management Plan (GMP), and the Garbage Record Book (GRB) for proof of compliance.
  • There is an absolute, non-negotiable global ban on the discharge of all plastics, synthetic ropes, fishing gear, and plastic incinerator ash into the sea anywhere on earth.
  • Food waste may be discharged outside Special Areas if comminuted to pass through a 25 mm screen at ≥3 NM from land, or uncomminuted at ≥12 NM en route; inside Special Areas, only comminuted food waste at ≥12 NM is permitted.
  • Ships of 12 m or more LOA must display multilingual placards; ships ≥400 GT or certified to carry ≥15 persons must maintain an approved GMP and GRB (preserved for 2 years).
  • Under IMO MEPC.277(70), the Garbage Record Book is split into Part I (All ships: Categories A to I) and Part II (Ships carrying solid bulk cargo: Categories J and K cargo residues).
  • Cooking oil, domestic wastes, incinerator ash, operational waste, and e-waste must be retained on board and discharged exclusively to authorized port reception facilities.

1. Annex V Scope & Shipboard Waste Processing Station Architecture

MARPOL Annex V: Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships governs all domestic, operational, and cargo-related solid wastes generated during normal ship operations. Floating plastics and operational trash choke marine mammals, ruin propellers and sea chest suctions, and transport toxic invasive species across oceans.

Annex V applies to all ships of any size, from small tugs to ultra-large container ships. Unlike Annexes I, II, IV, and VI, no statutory certificate is issued under Annex V. Environmental compliance is verified solely through physical equipment, crew operational adherence, and statutory paper logs (Placards, Garbage Management Plan, and Garbage Record Book).

All Ships Universal Application
0% Plastics Absolute Global Ban
≤25 mm Comminution Screen Mesh
2 Years GRB Retention Period

Under the revised Annex V regime, modern commercial vessels operate a centralized Garbage Processing Station equipped with mechanical volume-reduction machinery and standardized color-coded receptacles:

CENTRALIZED SHIPBOARD GARBAGE PROCESSING STATION & SEGREGATION HYDRAULIC BALER RAM PLATE Dense Bale Cardboard & Cans GLASS CRUSHER Glass Cullet Volume ↓ 80% INCINERATOR PRIMARY: 850°C Solid Trash & Sludge POST-COMBUST: 1200°C Eliminates Dioxins Ash Retained for Port Ash Discharged to Shore COLOR-CODED SEGREGATION BINS PLASTIC CAT A FOOD CAT B PAPER CAT C OIL CAT D ASH CAT E METAL CAT F E-WASTE CAT I GLASS CAT C STATUTORY RULE: Mixing garbage categories triggers the most stringent rule. If food is mixed with plastic, ALL must go ashore.
Figure 1: Centralized Shipboard Garbage Processing Station and Receptacle Segregation. To comply with revised Annex V, ships utilize baling compactors for cardboard and tins, rotary glass crushers to reduce cullet volume by 80%, dual-chamber marine incinerators (850°C/1200°C) for sludge and operational waste, and standardized color-coded receptacles strictly segregated by GRB category.

2. Marine Food Waste Comminuter & 25 mm Screen Engineering

Under MARPOL Annex V Regulation 4, the only domestic solid waste legally permitted to be discharged overboard is food waste. Discharge permissions depend on whether the food has been mechanically ground to pass through a standardized screen:

1
Comminuted Food Waste (≥ 3 NM): If food waste is ground in an approved comminuter/pulper such that it passes through a screen with openings no greater than 25 mm, it may be discharged while the ship is en route at a distance of not less than 3 nautical miles from the nearest land.
2
Uncomminuted Whole Food Waste (≥ 12 NM): Food waste that has not been comminuted or macerated may only be discharged while en route at a distance of not less than 12 nautical miles from the nearest baseline.
3
Inside Special Areas (≥ 12 NM Comminuted Only): Inside designated Special Areas, unground food waste is strictly prohibited. Comminuted food waste (≤25 mm) is permitted only at not less than 12 nautical miles from land.

The mechanical engineering of a marine food waste macerator pulper illustrates the statutory 25 mm sizing screen plate:

GALLEY COMMINUTER PULPER CUTAWAY FEED HOPPER (VICTUAL WASTE) WATER FLUSH → ROTARY SHREDDER TEETH (1800 RPM) 25 mm STATUTORY SCREEN MOTOR 5.5 kW → ≤25 mm SLURRY TO SEA (≥3 NM) STATUTORY 25 mm SIZING PERFORATED SCREEN PLATE 25 mm REGULATION 4 CRITERIA: • Openings ≤ 25 mm square or round • Oversized chunks recirculate • Continuous water wash mandatory • Outside Special Area: ≥ 3 NM • Inside Special Area: ≥ 12 NM • Vessel MUST be en route • Bones / shell / meats permitted Plastic packaging: NEVER into comminuter CHIEF COOK & CREW RULE: Never put plastic wrap, tin foil, or dishcloths into the comminuter; fragments cause immediate detention.
Figure 2: Marine Food Waste Pulper and Statutory 25 mm Sizing Perforated Screen Plate CAD Drawing. Food waste enters the hopper with flushing water and is pulverized by high-speed rotary tungsten teeth against the stator shear ring. Only particles ground small enough to pass through the 25 mm square aperture screen plate are discharged to sea at ≥3 NM outside Special Areas.

3. Permissible Discharge Distance Matrix & The Eight Special Areas

MARPOL Annex V establishes a comprehensive matrix balancing garbage category, comminution status, and vessel position. Under the 2013 revised Annex V regime, the historic default presumption was inverted: discharge of all garbage is prohibited unless explicitly permitted by a specific regulation.

default: all banned plastics always ashore food waste ground 3 NM whole food 12 NM special areas stricter ground food 12 NM only Banned unless explicitly permitted, en route
Garbage Category Discharge Outside Special Areas Discharge Inside Special Areas Offshore Platforms (>12 NM)
Plastics (Category A) PROHIBITED (Discharge ashore only) PROHIBITED (Discharge ashore only) PROHIBITED
Food Waste (Comminuted ≤25 mm) Permitted at ≥ 3 NM en route Permitted at ≥ 12 NM en route Permitted at ≥ 12 NM (screen ≤25 mm)
Food Waste (Uncomminuted) Permitted at ≥ 12 NM en route PROHIBITED PROHIBITED
Cargo Residues (Non-HME) Permitted at ≥ 12 NM en route Permitted at ≥ 12 NM (only if no reception) PROHIBITED
Cargo Residues (Harmful - HME) PROHIBITED PROHIBITED PROHIBITED
Domestic Wastes & Cooking Oil PROHIBITED (Categories C & D) PROHIBITED (Categories C & D) PROHIBITED
Incinerator Ashes (Category E) PROHIBITED (Retain for shore) PROHIBITED (Retain for shore) PROHIBITED
Operational & E-Waste PROHIBITED (Categories F & I) PROHIBITED (Categories F & I) PROHIBITED

The Eight Special Areas Under Annex V:

In oral exams, surveyors frequently expect candidates to rattle off the eight Special Areas designated under Annex V Regulation 1:

1. Mediterranean Sea

Enclosed coastal basin with immense tourist traffic; zero operational dumping except comminuted food at ≥12 NM.

2. Baltic Sea Area

Brackish water with high ecological vulnerability; strict shore reception mandated for all operational residues.

3. Black Sea Area

Anoxic bottom layers; zero cargo residue discharge permitted without certified non-HME wash water certificates.

4. Red Sea Area

Vulnerable coral reef biomes flanking high-density transit routes; food waste restricted to ≥12 NM.

5. "Gulfs" Area

Persian/Arabian Gulf shallow basin; intensive petroleum extraction and desalination plants demand strict protection.

6. North Sea Area

Heavy merchant shipping, offshore oil rigs, and commercial fishing grounds; plastics and ashes completely banned.

7. Antarctic Area

South of 60°S latitude; pristine wildlife sanctuary with total prohibition on all discharges, including food waste.

8. Wider Caribbean Region

Includes Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea; protects coral atolls and island nation economies from cruise ship debris.

Garbage discharge requirement table by zone
Reference table (course notes): the discharge matrix in one page — permitted vs prohibited by garbage type and zone. Source: Kunjal Shah Part 4 — SOLAS, MARPOL & STCW.

4. Placards, Garbage Management Plan & GRB Parts I & II

Annex V compliance is enforced through an escalating hierarchy of documentation and evidentiary records based on vessel size and crew complement:

Placards (Ships ≥ 12 m LOA)

Durable notices posted in the galley, mess rooms, bridge, and ECR notifying crew and passengers of discharge rules. Must be in the working language of the crew, and in English, French, or Spanish for international trade.

Garbage Management Plan (GMP)

Mandatory for ships ≥400 GT or ≥15 persons. Provides written ship-specific procedures for collecting, storing, processing, and disposing of garbage, designating the Chief Officer as the officer in charge.

Garbage Record Book (GRB)

Mandatory for ships ≥400 GT or ≥15 persons. Each discharge into the sea, delivery to shore reception, completed incineration, or accidental loss must be logged immediately and signed by the officer in charge; Master signs each page.

GRB Structure: Part I vs Part II (Resolution MEPC.277(70)):

Effective from 1 March 2018, the Garbage Record Book is formally split into two separate statutory books:

Record Book Target Vessel Scope Statutory Categories Recorded
GRB Part I All ships ≥400 GT or ≥15 persons Category A: Plastics
Category B: Food waste
Category C: Domestic wastes (paper, cardboard, rags, bottles, crockery)
Category D: Cooking oil
Category E: Incinerator ashes
Category F: Operational wastes (cargo dunnage, rags, sweepings)
Category G: Animal carcasses
Category H: Fishing gear
Category I: E-waste (computers, circuit boards, batteries)
GRB Part II Solid Bulk Cargo Carriers ≥400 GT Category J: Cargo residues (Non-Harmful to the Marine Environment - Non-HME)
Category K: Cargo residues (Harmful to the Marine Environment - HME)

The Four Mandatory GRB Recording Occasions:

1
Discharge into the Sea: Record date, time, ship position (lat/long), category (e.g. Cat B Food Waste), estimated volume in m³, and officer signature.
2
Discharge to Port Reception / Other Ship: Record date, time, port name or facility, category, volume in m³, officer signature, and attach the official Shore Waste Delivery Receipt.
3
Completed Incineration: Record start and stop dates/times, ship position at start and stop, estimated volume incinerated in m³, and officer signature.
4
Accidental or Exceptional Loss: Record time, position, category, estimated volume, exact circumstances of loss (e.g. deck cargo wash, container lost overboard), reasons, and coastal state reporting.
MARINE INCINERATOR PROCESS P&ID (RESOLUTION MEPC.244(66)) PRIMARY BURNER: 850°C – 1200°C Auxiliary Pilot Burner (MDO Fuel) FEED DOOR FLUE GAS UPTAKE → ID FAN ASH PAN (CATEGORY E) PROHIBITED FROM INCINERATION (ANNEX VI REG 16): PCB cargoes • Garbage with heavy metals • Refining residues • Exhaust gas cleaning residues GARBAGE RECORD BOOK (PART I) LOG SHEET DATE/TIME POSITION / PORT CAT / m³ SIGNATURE 12-MAY 14:00 24°12'N 058°10'E Cat B: 0.2 m³ J. Smith 2/O 14-MAY 08:30 Incinerated (Stop 11:30) Cat F: 0.8 m³ R. Vance 3/E 18-MAY 10:15 Rotterdam Berth 42 Cat A: 1.5 m³ C. Lee C/O MASTER'S SIGNATURE (EACH PAGE MANDATORY): Capt. A. Davis • 18-MAY AUDIT READY: Always file the official Port Waste Delivery Receipt behind the corresponding GRB page; surveyors cross-check volumes.
Figure 3: Marine Incinerator Process P&ID and Garbage Record Book (GRB Part I) Statutory Logging Protocol. Garbage is incinerated in primary (850°C) and secondary (1200°C) chambers to destroy dioxins, with ash strictly retained for shore disposal. The GRB logs all discharges to sea (e.g. food ≥3 NM), shore reception deliveries, and completed burns, countersigned by the officer in charge and the Master.