2. Garbage from ships can be just as deadly to marine life as oil or chemicals. *

3. The greatest danger comes from plastics. *

4. Plastics can float in the sea for years. *

5. MARPOL Annex V seeks to eliminate and reduce the amount of garbage being discharged into the sea from ships and even floating platforms. *

6. MARPOL Annex V prohibits all types of ships from dumping garbage into the sea. *

7. All countries are encouraged to make available to ships adequate port reception facilities so they can comply with the discharge requirements of MARPOL. *

8. Concerned government law enforcement officials can inspect a foreign-flagged ship at a port or an offshore terminal “when there are clear grounds for believing that the master or crew are not familiar with essential shipboard procedures relating to the prevention of pollution by garbage”. *

9. All ships of 100 gross tonnage and above carrying at least 15 people must carry a garbage management plan on board. *

10. The garbage management plan must include written procedures for minimizing, collecting, storing, processing and disposing of garbage, including the use of equipment on board. *

11. The garbage management plan must indicate the person responsible for the plan. *

12. The garbage management plan must be written in the working knowledge of the ship crew. *

13. All ships of 400 gross tonnage and above must maintain a Garbage Record Book. *

14. The date, time, position of the ship, description of the garbage and the estimated amount incinerated or discharged must be logged and signed. *

15. The Garbage Record Book must be kept for a period of two (2) years after the date of the last entry. *

16. Ships must have a sanitary system that adequately contains liquid waste, sewage and greywater within permitted grounds. *

17. Ships must have grease traps to manage greasy liquid waste. *

18. Ships must employ appropriate treatment, when required, before storage or discharge of sewage and greywater. *

19. Ships are not generally permitted to discharge sewage or any other liquid containing contaminating or toxic waste within an area from which a water supply is drawn. *

20. Sewage, food particles, putrescible matter and toxic substances must not be discharge to the bilge. *

21. To prevent corrosion, the interiors of ship’s food and garbage lifts may need to be constructed of stainless steel. *

22. Garbage chutes, if installed, need to be constructed of stainless steel or similar material and have an automatics cleaning system. *

23. The ship garbage storage room should be well-ventilated, and the temperature and humidity controlled. *