Garbage Management — MARPOL Annex V

MARPOL Annex V — Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships — was adopted as part of the original MARPOL 73/78 framework and entered into force on 31 December 1988. The 2011 amendments (in force 1 January 2013) fundamentally reversed the regulatory approach: the old regime permitted discharge of most garbage unless specifically prohibited; the revised Annex V prohibits all discharges unless a specific exemption is stated. This shift placed the burden firmly on operators to justify any disposal at sea rather than to justify retention.

Annex V applies to all ships of all types, including fixed and floating platforms. Its requirements interact closely with onboard Waste Management Plans under ISM and with national legislation — most notably the US Oil Pollution Act and equivalent domestic statutes — that frequently impose stricter standards than MARPOL itself.

Garbage categories (Annex V Regulation 7)

Category APlastics
PROHIBITED to discharge anywhere — including all waters outside special areas. Plastics must be retained onboard and delivered to a port reception facility.
Category BFood wastes
Discharge permitted ≥ 3 nm from nearest land if comminuted or ground to pass a 25 mm screen; ≥ 12 nm if unground. In special areas, comminuted food waste may be discharged ≥ 12 nm (with flag-state / flag approval variations).
Category CDomestic wastes (paper, rags, glass, metal, crockery)
Generally prohibited at sea outside special areas. In practice, held onboard and landed ashore. Outside special areas, discharge may be permitted ≥ 12 nm where vessel-specific Garbage Management Plan specifies — but most operators prohibit it entirely.
Category DCooking oil
Prohibited at sea. Must be retained in suitable containers (often dedicated IBC or drum) and delivered to port reception facilities.
Category EIncinerator ash
Generally prohibited due to heavy-metal contamination concerns. Ash from incinerating Category A or D waste is specifically prohibited. Ash from permitted materials may be discharged ≥ 12 nm but most operators prohibit all ash discharge.
Category FOperational wastes (cleaning agents, paint chips, wire strappings)
Prohibited at sea. Includes cargo-associated materials such as dunnage, lining, and packing that will float. All to be retained and landed.
Category GAnimal carcasses
Discharge permitted ≥ 100 nm from nearest land, en route (not at anchor or in port), with weighting to ensure sinking. Not permitted in special areas.
Category HCargo residues (non-HME)
Discharge permitted ≥ 12 nm from nearest land with hold-washing water, under certain conditions — not harmful to the marine environment (non-HME). In special areas, discharge only where adequate reception facilities are unavailable and all conditions of Reg 7 are met.
Category ICargo residues (HME — harmful to the marine environment)
Subject to special restrictions; effectively prohibited at sea under normal conditions. Classified HME cargo residues must be landed at reception facilities.

Special areas

In designated Special Areas, discharge restrictions are significantly stricter than the general regime. Only food wastes (comminuted, ≥ 12 nm in most areas) and, where adequate port reception facilities are unavailable, non-HME cargo residues may be discharged. Plastics and all other categories are prohibited entirely. The current MARPOL Annex V Special Areas are:

Mediterranean Sea
Baltic Sea
Black Sea
Red Sea
Gulfs area (Persian Gulf / Gulf of Oman)
North Sea
Antarctic Sea (south of 60°S)
Wider Caribbean Region

Vessels should identify special areas for each voyage in passage planning and ensure segregation is completed and log entries are up to date before entering any special area.

Mandatory documentation

Garbage Management Plan (GMP) — required for all vessels ≥ 100 GT or certified to carry 15 or more persons. The GMP must be vessel-specific: a generic template that has not been adapted to the ship's trade, garbage categories, and onboard equipment will not satisfy PSC inspectors. It must include procedures for collecting, storing, processing, and disposing of garbage, as well as designating the officer responsible for its implementation.
Garbage Record Book (GRB) — required for vessels ≥ 400 GT or certified to carry 15 or more persons. Comprises two parts: Part I covers all solid garbage (Categories A–G and incinerator ash); Part II covers cargo residues (Categories H and I). Each entry must record the date, the ship's position (latitude and longitude), the category, the estimated amount discharged or incinerated (in cubic metres), and the method of disposal. The GRB must be retained onboard for two years after the date of the last entry, and must be available for inspection by authorised officers.

Onboard procedures

Garbage placard (Regulation 10) — must be displayed in a conspicuous place (typically the messroom and galley) in the working language of the crew and in English, French, or Spanish if crew members do not speak these languages. The placard summarises the discharge prohibitions.
Segregation at source — garbage must be separated by category in clearly labelled, colour-coded receptacles: plastics kept entirely separate from food waste, metals, and hazardous materials. Commingling plastics with other waste is one of the most common deficiencies cited on PSC reports.
Storage — in tropical trades, refrigerated storage is recommended for organic waste to prevent odour, pest infestation, and premature degradation. Adequate storage capacity for the longest planned sea passage without a reception facility must be verified before departure.
Comminution and incineration — onboard incinerators must hold a valid IMO-type approval certificate and operate within temperature limits (≥ 850°C for standard waste, ≥ 1200°C for certain materials) to avoid producing dioxins and furans. Incinerator operations must be logged in the GRB.
Port reception facility delivery — receipts for waste delivered to reception facilities must be retained onboard for at least two years and available for PSC inspection. The IMO Port Reception Facility Database (PRFD) on GISIS lists facility availability by port worldwide.

Common PSC deficiencies

Garbage management is a consistently high-ranking deficiency category in Paris MOU, Tokyo MOU, and USCG annual reports. Typical findings include:

· GRB entries inconsistent with operational reality (e.g., no entries during a 30-day passage).
· Garbage placard absent, obscured, or in incorrect language(s).
· GMP is a generic template not adapted to the vessel or its trade.
· Incinerator type-approval certificate expired or incinerator operating outside specified parameters.
· Plastic waste found commingled with food waste or other categories.
· No port reception facility receipts available for recent port calls.

In US waters, additional penalties under OPA-90 apply for unlawful garbage discharge — see OPA-90.

Wider context

Marine plastic pollution has become a prominent focus of international environmental diplomacy. The UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water) targets a significant reduction in marine pollution by 2025. IMO's Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships (2018) commits member states to progressive strengthening of Annex V implementation, improved port reception facilities, and monitoring of micro-plastic discharge from scrubbers and grey water — an area where further regulation is expected in the 2025–2030 period. Environmental NGOs and charterers increasingly require enhanced garbage reporting as part of ESG due diligence.