New mandatory requirements for Garbage Management Plans
As of 1 January 2013 new international regulations requiring vessels and fixed or floating platforms to carry a Garbage Management Plan will come into effect. The new requirements are part of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which is in force in 151 countries.
Regulation 10(2) of Annex V of MARPOL provides 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 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 by the crew.”
Until now, Garbage Management Plans have only been required on vessels of 400 gross tonnage and above.
