A mandatory log recording all garbage disposal and incineration operations on board, required under MARPOL Annex V.
Quick facts
Regulation
MARPOL Annex V
In practice
For all officers, maintaining accurate GRB entries is a routine compliance obligation. Port state control inspectors compare the GRB against the ship's garbage management plan and the plausible generation rates for the crew size and voyage duration. A vessel that has generated no garbage over a multi-week voyage is immediately suspect; conversely, excessive recorded volumes relative to storage capacity raise questions about the vessel's actual disposal methods.
Regulatory detail & full definition
The Garbage Record Book is a mandatory record required under MARPOL Annex V for ships of 400 GT and above and ships certified to carry fifteen or more persons. All garbage management operations must be recorded: discharge to port reception facilities, discharge to sea (where permitted), incineration on board, and accidental loss. The record must include the date, ship's position, category of garbage, and estimated amount. The master must sign each completed page.
For all officers, maintaining accurate GRB entries is a routine compliance obligation. Port state control inspectors compare the GRB against the ship's garbage management plan and the plausible generation rates for the crew size and voyage duration. A vessel that has generated no garbage over a multi-week voyage is immediately suspect; conversely, excessive recorded volumes relative to storage capacity raise questions about the vessel's actual disposal methods.
The Garbage Management Plan, required under MARPOL Annex V for the same vessels as the GRB, must designate a person responsible for implementing the plan and specify how each type of garbage — food waste, paper, glass, plastics, operational waste, cooking oil — is to be handled and disposed of. Officers must ensure that crew are briefed on the plan and that discharge placards are posted throughout the vessel. The GRB must be retained on board for two years after the last entry.