MARPOL Annex V — Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships

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).

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

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:

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:

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 rule: Garbage discharge is banned unless explicitly permitted. Plastics must go ashore; food-waste exceptions depend on distance, comminution, special-area rules, and the ship being en route.

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.

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:

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.