The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage and Garbage from Ships) Regulations 2008

PART 5Disposal of Garbage

Prohibition on disposal of plastics or mixtures of garbage from a ship

26.—(1) The disposal into the sea of any plastics from a ship to which this regulation applies is prohibited.

(2) Where plastics are mixed with garbage of one or more kinds referred to in regulation 27, 28 or 29, the disposal of that mixed garbage into the sea from such a ship is prohibited.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4), where—

(a)garbage of a kind referred to in regulation 27, 28 or 29 is mixed with garbage of a different kind referred to in any of those regulations, and

(b)the disposal into the sea of one or more of those kinds of garbage is prohibited under any of those regulations,

the disposal into the sea of that mixed garbage is prohibited.

(4) Where—

(a)garbage of a kind referred to in regulation 27, 28 or 29 is mixed with garbage of a different kind referred to in any of those regulations,

(b)the disposal into the sea of those kinds of garbage is prohibited by those regulations unless certain requirements are complied with, and

(c)those requirements differ according to the kind of garbage,

the disposal into the sea of that mixed garbage is prohibited unless the more stringent requirements are complied with.

Prohibition on disposal of garbage other than plastics from a ship outside a Special Area

27.—(1) This regulation is subject to regulation 29.

(2) The disposal of dunnage, lining and packing materials which will float, from a ship to which this regulation applies into the sea outside a Special Area is prohibited unless—

(a)the distance from the ship to the nearest land is 25 nautical miles or more, and

(b)the disposal is made as far from the nearest land as is practicable.

(3) The disposal of general garbage, which has been ground or comminuted to the required standard, from such a ship into the sea outside a Special Area is prohibited unless—

(a)the distance from the ship to the nearest land is three nautical miles or more, and

(b)the disposal is made as far from the nearest land as is practicable.

(4) The disposal of general garbage, other than that referred to in paragraph (3), from such a ship into the sea outside a Special Area is prohibited unless—

(a)the distance from the ship to the nearest land is 12 nautical miles or more, and

(b)the disposal is made as far from the nearest land as is practicable.

(5) In this regulation, “general garbage” means garbage other than—

(a)plastics, and

(b)dunnage, lining and packing materials which will float.

Prohibition on disposal of garbage from a ship within a Special Area

28.—(1) The disposal of garbage, other than food wastes, from a ship to which this regulation applies into the sea within a Special Area is prohibited.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), the disposal of food wastes from such a ship into the sea within a Special Area is prohibited unless—

(a)the distance from the ship to the nearest land is 12 nautical miles or more, and

(b)the disposal is made as far from the nearest land as is practicable.

(3) If the Wider Caribbean Region is a Special Area, the disposal of food wastes, which have been ground or comminuted to the required standard, from a ship into the sea within that Region is prohibited unless—

(a)the distance from the ship to the nearest land is three nautical miles or more, and

(b)the disposal is made as far from the nearest land as is practicable.

Prohibition on disposal of garbage from a relevant platform or from a ship alongside a relevant platform

29.—(1) The disposal of garbage, other than the food wastes referred to in paragraph (2), into the sea from a ship to which this regulation applies is prohibited.

(2) The disposal of food wastes, which have been ground or comminuted to the required standard, into the sea from a ship to which this regulation applies is prohibited, if the distance from the relevant platform in question to the nearest land is 12 nautical miles or less.

Restriction on United Kingdom ships entering the Antarctic area

30.  A ship to which this regulation applies must not enter the Antarctic area unless—

(a)it has sufficient capacity for the retention on board of all garbage while operating in that area, and

(b)it has concluded arrangements for the discharge of retained garbage at a reception facility after it has left that area.

Placards on ships

31.—(1) A ship to which the regulation applies must display placards which notify the crew and any passengers of the requirements for the disposal of garbage contained in regulations 26 to 28 and 30.

(2) Those placards must be written—

(a)in the working language of the ship’s personnel, and

(b)if the ship is engaged on voyages to ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of a Party to the Convention other than its flag State, also in English, French or Spanish.