MARPOL Annex V: Garbage from Ships

Direct answer

MARPOL Annex V prohibits discharge of all garbage from ships into the sea unless Regulations 4, 5, or 6 of the revised Annex expressly permit it. Plastics, cooking oil, incinerator ash, operational wastes, fishing gear, e-waste, and HME cargo residues are banned globally without exception. Food waste may be discharged at minimum 3 nm (comminuted to below 25 mm) or 12 nm (uncomminuted) from the nearest land while in transit outside special areas. Non-HME bulk cargo residues may be discharged at minimum 12 nm outside special areas and Arctic waters. Every ship of 100 GT and above, or certified to carry 15 or more persons, must maintain a Garbage Management Plan approved by the flag state and a two-part Garbage Record Book, retained on board for at least two years.

Background

The shipboard garbage challenge

Shipboard garbage presents specific environmental hazards:

• Plastic persistence: synthetic polymer materials discharged at sea persist for decades to centuries, accumulating in marine biological systems and fragmenting to microplastics.
• Wildlife impact: marine mammals, seabirds, fish, and turtles ingest plastic with often fatal consequences; entanglement in lost fishing gear is a documented cause of marine mammal mortality.
• Beach pollution: ship-source garbage washes ashore on coasts, with cleanup costs borne by coastal states.
• Cumulative volume: aggregate garbage from the world fleet over decades has contributed materially to ocean pollution.
• Visibility: garbage pollution is highly visible to the public, driving political and regulatory pressure in a way that subsurface or dissolved pollutants do not.

The shipboard garbage volume has grown with the world fleet and with consumer-product packaging trends, requiring progressive tightening of Annex V provisions over four decades.

Why Annex V is distinct among MARPOL annexes

Annex V stands apart from the other five MARPOL annexes in several respects:

• Widest special-area regime: eight designated special areas, more than any other annex.
• Multiple discharge categories: the nine-category Part I system plus the two-category Part II is more granular than the binary or tertiary structures of other annexes.
• Global plastics ban: a complete prohibition on plastic discharge, the most categorical single pollution prohibition in MARPOL.
• Operational diversity: garbage from ship operations covers the full range of consumer and operational products that pass through shipboard life, from galley scraps to electronic instruments.
• Public attention: ocean plastic pollution receives more sustained public attention than oil or chemical pollution, translating directly into regulatory pressure.

The combination of broad coverage, public attention, and continuing emergence of new issues (microplastics, plastic pellets, e-waste) makes Annex V one of the most actively amended MARPOL instruments.

Major amendment milestones

Annex V has been amended substantially several times since original adoption:

• 1973: Annex V adopted alongside MARPOL.
• 31 December 1988: Annex V entered into force; foundational global plastics discharge ban.
• 1 October 1989: Baltic Sea Special Area stricter provisions took effect.
• 18 February 1991: North Sea Special Area stricter provisions took effect.
• 17 March 1992: Antarctic Special Area stricter provisions took effect.
• 2011 (Resolution MEPC.201(62)): substantial revision introducing the default-prohibition structure and the current nine-category system (Categories A through I); entered into force 1 January 2013. The most far-reaching Annex V revision since 1988.
• 1 May 2009: Mediterranean Sea Special Area stricter provisions took effect.
• 1 May 2011: Wider Caribbean Special Area stricter provisions took effect.
• 2016 (Resolution MEPC.277(70)), in force 1 March 2018: Garbage Record Book restructured into Part I (nine categories, all ships) and Part II (cargo residues, solid bulk cargo ships only); HME classification criteria introduced; e-waste defined as Category I.
• 2017 (Resolution MEPC.295(71)): 2017 Guidelines for the implementation of Annex V adopted, replacing earlier guidelines; includes consolidated Annex V text incorporating MEPC.277(70).
• 1 January 2025: Red Sea Special Area stricter provisions took effect.
• April 2025 (MEPC 83): 2025 Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships adopted, targeting completion of identified measures by 2030.

Application

Ship types and sizes

Annex V applies to:

• All ships engaged on international voyages, including cargo ships of any size, passenger ships, fishing vessels, government non-commercial vessels (with adaptations), and pleasure craft.
• Fixed and floating platforms, including offshore drilling rigs, FPSO units, and accommodation platforms.
• Ships of less than 100 GT for the basic discharge prohibitions, but without the full GarMP and Garbage Record Book requirements.

Garbage Management Plan and Record Book applicability

The GarMP and Garbage Record Book are required on:

• Ships of 100 gross tonnage and above.
• Ships certified to carry 15 or more persons.
• Every fixed and floating platform regardless of size.

Smaller ships and platforms must still comply with discharge prohibitions but with reduced documentation requirements.

Exemptions

The Annex provides narrow exemptions:

• Safety emergency: discharge necessary to secure ship safety or save life at sea.
• Accidental damage: discharge resulting from accidental damage, provided all reasonable precautions were taken before and after the accident.
• Fishing gear: accidental loss or discharge from fishing vessels, with reporting and practicable recovery.

Garbage discharge table

The table below summarises the discharge regime under the 2013 revised Annex V (MEPC.201(62)) and the 2018 amendments (MEPC.277(70)), for the nine Part I categories and the two Part II categories.

Notes: “en route” means the ship is proceeding on course at normal speed. Special area rules are stricter than outside-area rules. Arctic / Polar prohibition follows Polar Code Part II-A (MEPC.264(68) / MSC.385(94)).

The Garbage Record Book category system

Part I categories (all ships)

The 2018 amendments (Resolution MEPC.277(70), in force 1 March 2018) restructured the Garbage Record Book. Part I applies to all ships and covers the nine garbage types most relevant to general ship operations.

Category A: Plastics. All forms of synthetic polymer materials: bags, bottles, packaging, ropes, fishing nets, paint chips, polymer-impregnated materials. Discharge is prohibited globally under all circumstances. The Category A ban is the foundational Annex V provision since 1988.

Category B: Food wastes. All organic galley waste: vegetable scraps, meat, dairy, fish, baked goods, beverages. Discharge outside special areas requires either comminution to particles below 25 mm (minimum 3 nm) or discharge without comminution at minimum 12 nm, in both cases while en route. Inside special areas the minimum is 12 nm. In polar waters under the Polar Code, food waste discharge is prohibited entirely.

Category C: Domestic wastes. Paper, rags, glass, metal, bottles, crockery, and similar items generated in the accommodation and service areas of a ship. Includes floating dunnage, lining, and packaging materials from cargo. Discharge is generally prohibited; floating dunnage, lining, and packing materials are permitted outside special areas at minimum 25 nm from the nearest land while en route, reflecting the risk of these materials washing back to shore at shorter distances. Inside special areas and in polar waters all domestic waste discharge is prohibited.

Category D: Cooking oil. Used cooking oil from galleys: vegetable frying oils, oils from extractor hoods, fat trap contents. Discharge is prohibited globally since the 2013 revised Annex V entered into force.

Category E: Incinerator ashes. Residues from on-board incineration. Discharge outside special areas is permitted at minimum 12 nm while en route, provided the ash does not contain any residues from cargo subject to MARPOL Annex I or Annex II. Inside special areas and in polar waters the discharge is prohibited.

Category F: Operational wastes. Cleaning rags, deck sweepings, disposable wipes, paint and coating wastes, used filters, used personal protective equipment, used absorbents. Generally prohibited globally. Certain cleaning agents and additives used in hold or deck cleaning may be discharged under Regulation 6 conditions outside special areas if they are not harmful to the marine environment.

Category G: Animal carcasses. Primarily encountered on livestock carriers, where transport mortality produces carcasses requiring disposal. Discharge is permitted at minimum 100 nm from the nearest land while en route in general areas. Inside special areas and in polar waters it is prohibited. Carcasses must be weighted to ensure sinking.

Category H: Fishing gear. Nets, ropes, lines, traps, longlines, fish-aggregating devices. Discharge is prohibited globally. Accidental loss must be recorded in the Garbage Record Book with the circumstances and any recovery actions taken. The prohibition addresses ghost fishing, where lost gear continues catching fish indefinitely.

Category I: E-waste. Electrical and electronic equipment from normal ship operations or accommodation spaces, including all components and consumables at the time of discard, where the equipment contains material potentially hazardous to human health or the environment. This definition was formally introduced by Resolution MEPC.277(70). Discharge is prohibited globally.

Part II categories (solid bulk cargo ships)

Part II applies only to ships carrying solid bulk cargoes. The two categories cover cargo residues, which have a distinct regulatory regime because the HME classification is determined before loading, not at discharge.

Category J: Cargo residues, non-HME. Residues of solid bulk cargoes that the shipper has declared as not harmful to the marine environment, assessed against the criteria in Appendix I of Annex V. Discharge outside special areas and outside Arctic waters is permitted at minimum 12 nm from the nearest land while en route and as far as practicable from land. Inside special areas and in Arctic waters, discharge is prohibited.

Category K: Cargo residues, HME. Residues of solid bulk cargoes assessed as harmful to the marine environment under the Appendix I criteria. Discharge is prohibited globally. Reception-only disposal.

The MEPC.277(70) amendments that created Part II also required shippers of solid bulk cargoes (other than grain) to declare HME status in the cargo documentation under IMSBC Code Section 4.2. The ship must verify this declaration before loading and record cargo residue operations separately from general garbage.

The 2018 amendments: MEPC.277(70)

Background and scope

Resolution MEPC.277(70) was adopted at MEPC 70 (October 2016) and entered into force on 1 March 2018. It addressed three separate weaknesses in the 2013 revised Annex V:

• No HME criteria: before MEPC.277(70), Annex V required different treatment for HME cargo residues but provided no criteria for determining whether a solid bulk cargo was HME. The 2018 amendments inserted Appendix I into Annex V with the classification criteria, aligned with the IMSBC Code approach. Classification uses ecotoxicity, persistence, bioaccumulation, and other parameters.
• No cargo residue recording structure: the single-part Garbage Record Book before 2018 did not clearly distinguish cargo residue operations from general garbage. The Part I / Part II split created a dedicated structure for bulk cargo ships.
• No e-waste definition: electronic equipment from ship operations was covered by the general operational waste prohibition but not specifically defined. MEPC.277(70) added the e-waste definition and assigned it to Category I in Part I.

HME classification in practice

A shipper of solid bulk cargo must assess the cargo against the Appendix I criteria and include the HME / non-HME declaration in the cargo documents. The master or officer responsible for cargo must check this declaration before accepting the cargo. Common cargo types with declared HME status include:

• Mineral concentrates with heavy-metal content (lead, zinc, copper concentrates).
• Coal (heavy metals and PAH content).
• Iron ore fines (heavy metal content in some grades).
• Certain agricultural bulk cargoes with pesticide residues.
• Fishmeal with feed additive content.

Common cargo types typically declared non-HME include grain, salt, sand, cement, and clean mineral aggregates. The shipper bears responsibility for the accuracy of the declaration, but the master is responsible for verifying it is present.

Garbage Management Plan (GarMP)

Required content

Every ship of 100 GT and above or carrying 15 or more persons must carry a GarMP approved by the flag state. The plan must include:

• Collection procedures: from crew accommodation, galley, machinery space, and deck operations areas.
• Processing procedures: comminution, compaction, and incineration where fitted.
• Storage procedures: segregation by category, container labelling, and designated storage location.
• Disposal procedures: discharge under the applicable regulatory regime or reception facility delivery.
• Personnel responsibilities: identification of crew responsible for each step.
• Training programme: crew familiarization with the plan.
• Garbage minimisation strategies: source reduction where practicable.
• Sample Garbage Record Book entries: showing the format and required fields.

Plan format and approval

The GarMP follows IMO guidance in Resolution MEPC.220(63) (2012 Guidelines for the development of garbage management plans) and the updated guidance in MEPC.295(71):

• Standard sections matching regulatory expectation.
• Ship-specific detail about garbage handling equipment and procedures.
• Annexes with detailed procedures, training materials, and forms.
• Flag-state approval, with re-approval required after significant changes.

Implementation is verified at PSC inspection through documentation review and crew interview. A plan that is present but not implemented is treated as a deficiency.

Garbage Record Book

Part I: general garbage

The Garbage Record Book Part I records, for all nine categories:

• Discharge to reception facility: date, time, port, category, estimated quantity, signature.
• Discharge at sea: date, time, position, ship’s speed, distance from nearest land, category, quantity, signature.
• Incineration: date, time, position, quantity incinerated, signature.
• Accidental loss: date, time, position, quantity, circumstances, action taken, signature.

Each entry must be signed by the responsible officer.

Part II: cargo residue discharges

The Garbage Record Book Part II (ships carrying solid bulk cargoes) records separately:

• Cargo residue discharge (Category J or K): date, time, position, cargo type, HME / non-HME status, quantity, distance from nearest land.
• Hold washing water discharge: cargo type, timing, position, quantity.
• Reception facility transfer of cargo residue waste: date, port, quantity, receipt reference.

The separation from Part I reflects that cargo residue management is cargo-handling activity, not general housekeeping, and that the HME compliance check must be traceable independently.

Documentation retention

Garbage Record Books are retained on board for at least two years from the last entry. They are available for PSC inspection on demand, compared against reception facility receipts and operational logs, and used in casualty investigations when garbage-related violations are suspected.

Special Areas

Annex V has eight designated special areas. Special area designation triggers stricter discharge restrictions and, under MARPOL Protocol, an obligation on states to ensure adequate port reception facilities.

The important distinction is between the date of designation (when the special area was added to Annex V by amendment) and the date the stricter provisions took effect (when the IMO confirmed adequate reception facilities existed). The two dates can differ by years.

Mediterranean Sea

Designated at MARPOL adoption (1973); stricter provisions in effect since 1 May 2009. The Mediterranean has limited water exchange and high marine biodiversity, making it among the most sensitive special areas.

Baltic Sea

Designated 1973; stricter provisions in effect since 1 October 1989. The Baltic’s semi-enclosed nature and limited salinity exchange have made it a priority for early special-area implementation.

Black Sea

Designated 1973. Stricter provisions status under IMO MEPC circulars.

Red Sea

Designated 1973; stricter provisions in effect since 1 January 2025. The late effective date reflects the time required to confirm adequate reception facility provision across Red Sea ports.

Gulfs Area

Designated 1973. Covers the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and adjacent waters. Reception facility adequacy confirmation and effective date follows IMO MEPC circulars.

North Sea

Designated 1989; stricter provisions in effect since 18 February 1991. Covers the North Sea including the English Channel and approaches.

Wider Caribbean Region

Designated 1990 (entered into force 4 April 1993); stricter provisions in effect since 1 May 2011. Includes the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and adjacent waters.

Antarctic Area

Designated 1990 (entered into force 17 March 1992); stricter provisions in effect since 17 March 1992. The Antarctic special area provisions interact with Polar Code Part II-A requirements; in practice all garbage discharge in Antarctic waters is prohibited.

Effects of special area designation

Special area status means:

• Stricter discharge rules: categories permitted elsewhere are prohibited inside the area.
• Stricter distances: minimum distances from land are increased or absolute prohibitions apply.
• Reception facility obligation: contracting governments with ports in the area must provide adequate reception capacity before stricter provisions can take effect.
• PSC enforcement priority: inspections in special areas include detailed Annex V verification.

Reception facilities

Regulatory requirement

Annex V Regulation 8 requires each port to provide adequate garbage reception facilities. “Adequate” means capacity to handle all categories that ships on that trade route could bring ashore, at cost not deterring delivery, with operating hours matching port operations.

EU implementation

Directive 2019/883/EC (replacing Directive 2000/59/EC) provides EU-specific implementation. Key elements beyond the Annex V minimum:

• Delivery requirement: ships must deliver all garbage at the port of call unless the master documents sufficient on-board storage capacity for the next port.
• Indirect-fee system: the cost of basic reception facility provision is distributed across all ships calling at the port, regardless of how much garbage is actually delivered. This removes the financial incentive to retain garbage for sea discharge.
• Reporting: through the EU SafeSeaNet system, with pre-arrival notification of garbage amounts.
• Exemptions: ships on short regular routes in the area may be exempted from the delivery obligation at each individual call.

US implementation

MARPOL Annex V is implemented in US federal law through the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) and 33 CFR Part 151. The USCG enforces Annex V compliance, with substantial criminal penalties for violations under APPS. Whistleblower rewards of up to 50% of collected fines under APPS have been a primary source of major enforcement actions.

Ship-side garbage handling equipment

Garbage room and segregation

Modern ships carry a dedicated garbage room with:

• Multiple bins for category segregation (plastic, food, domestic, metal, glass, e-waste, operational waste, hazardous).
• Refrigerated storage for food waste on long voyages or in hot climates.
• Compactors for volume reduction.
• Shredders for size reduction before reception facility delivery.
• Labelling with MARPOL-required pictograms.
• Ventilation with odour control.

Shipboard incinerators

Shipboard incinerators reduce garbage volume and dispose of certain categories. Requirements:

• Type approval under IMO Resolution MEPC.244(66) (2014) for new incinerators.
• Operating temperature: minimum 850 degrees Celsius for the combustion chamber; minimum 400 degrees Celsius for flue gas.
• Emission monitoring: oxygen, CO, particulates, SO2.
• Approved waste streams: garbage, oily sludge, sewage sludge.
• Prohibited waste streams: PCB-containing items, mercury-containing batteries, chemical wastes, refrigerants, halogenated plastics including PVC.

Incineration ash falls under Category E with the discharge restrictions set out above.

Compactors

Garbage compactors reduce volume by 60 to 80 percent, supporting longer voyage retention before reception facility delivery. Compactors use hydraulic pressure, operate bin-by-bin to preserve category segregation, and require routine hydraulic and blade maintenance.

Polar Code interaction

Polar Code Part II-A introduces additional garbage provisions for polar operations under resolutions MEPC.264(68) and MSC.385(94):

• Food waste discharge prohibited in polar waters (stricter than the general outside-special-area rules under Category B).
• All garbage retained for shore disposal except where specifically permitted.
• Documentation of garbage management in the polar voyage record.

Polar operations present specific challenges: limited reception facility capacity at polar ports, long voyage segments between port calls, cold environment affecting waste storage, and heightened wildlife sensitivity. Cruise ships operating in polar waters typically apply additional voluntary procedures beyond the regulatory minimum.

Marine plastic pollution

Scale

Marine plastic pollution is one of the most visible environmental challenges of the current era. Ship-source plastic is estimated at 5 to 10 percent of total ocean plastic entering the sea each year, a share that has declined from the 1990s estimates of 20 to 30 percent as enforcement has tightened. The majority of ocean plastic now originates from land-based sources, primarily inadequate waste management infrastructure in coastal regions.

X-Press Pearl casualty (2021)

The X-Press Pearl fire and sinking off Sri Lanka in May 2021 released approximately 1,680 metric tonnes of plastic pellets (nurdles) into the Indian Ocean, the largest single plastic pellet pollution event from a ship on record. The casualty drove:

• IMO MEPC consideration of plastic pellet-specific provisions, with MEPC 81 (March 2024) approving Recommendations for the carriage of plastic pellets by sea in freight containers, addressing packaging, transport information, and stowage.
• Consideration of plastic pellets as a marine pollutant under MARPOL Annex III, which would impose stricter packaging requirements.
• Industry-led Operation Clean Sweep pellet stewardship programme.

MEPC 83 (2025) Action Plan

At its 83rd session in April 2025, MEPC adopted the 2025 Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships, replacing the earlier 2021 action plan. The 2025 Action Plan sets out specific, measurable actions to be completed by 2030, focusing on port reception facility adequacy, seafarer training, garbage management improvements, and enforcement. It builds on Annex V and the 2017 Guidelines but does not itself constitute a binding amendment to Annex V.

Plastics ban effectiveness

The Annex V plastics ban has reduced ship-source plastic pollution substantially compared to historical levels, but compliance is not uniform:

• Enforcement varies by region and flag state.
• Accidental plastic loss (storms, container losses, cargo incidents) continues outside the scope of the discharge ban.
• Microplastic generation from operational sources (paint ablation, synthetic rope wear) is not addressed by the bulk plastic prohibition and is the subject of ongoing MEPC working group discussions.

PSC inspection of Annex V

Inspection focus

PSC inspectors examining Annex V compliance focus on:

• GarMP: present, current, flag-state approved.
• Garbage Record Book Part I and Part II: complete, consistent with operations, no anomalous gaps.
• Garbage handling equipment: operational, maintained.
• Garbage segregation: actual segregation matching the plan.
• Crew familiarity: with the plan and procedures.
• Reception facility receipts: for shore-side disposal, checked against GRB entries.

Common deficiencies

Frequently cited Annex V deficiencies in PSC:

• Garbage Record Book entries inconsistent with actual operations (e.g., quantities implausible for voyage duration, discharge positions inside prohibited areas).
• GarMP outdated or not reflecting current ship configuration or regulatory changes.
• Garbage handling equipment non-functional (incinerator, compactor, shredder).
• Segregation incomplete with categories mixed in the garbage room.
• Crew unable to identify which garbage category applies to a specific waste type.

Serious deficiencies can result in detention. The Princess Cruise Lines plea agreement of 2017 ($40 million, covering multiple MARPOL annexes including Annex V) and the Carnival Corporation settlement of 2019 ($20 million for ongoing violations) established the scale of penalty exposure.

Unauthorized discharge detection

Detection of unauthorized garbage discharge uses several methods:

• US APPS Whistleblower Program: crew members may receive up to 50% of collected fines for reporting violations. Rewards in the millions of dollars in major cases have produced substantial crew reporting.
• Coastal observation: garbage on shorelines traced to specific vessels via forensic analysis.
• Aerial and satellite surveillance: discharge plumes visible in Special Area approach waters.
• Record cross-checking: GRB entries cross-checked against reception facility receipts and operational logs to detect inconsistencies.

Microplastics and emerging concerns

Operational microplastic sources

Beyond the Category A bulk plastic discharge ban, ship operations generate microplastics that are not directly addressed by the current Annex V provisions:

• Hull coating ablation: antifouling paint polymer matrix releases microparticles over time. Self-polishing copolymer coatings are designed to hydrolyse and release biocides, but the matrix itself becomes microplastic.
• Synthetic fibre shedding: ropes, lines, and mooring tails shed micro-fibres under tension and friction.
• Galley wash water: polyester and acrylic micro-fibres from textiles in shipboard laundry.
• Cargo pellet handling: small quantities from routine handling on chemical tankers and product carriers.

MEPC has recognised these sources through the working group on marine plastic pollution. Regulatory provisions specifically addressing operational microplastics are still under development; the 2025 Action Plan identifies them as a priority area for the period to 2030.

Biodegradable plastic complications

Bio-based or biodegradable plastics (PLA, PHA, PHB, starch-based polymers) are not differentiated from conventional petroleum-derived plastics under the current Annex V Category A definition. All polymer materials fall under the prohibition regardless of marketed biodegradability characteristics. MEPC has tasked subsidiary groups with developing criteria, but no formal regulatory exemption exists. Class societies and flag administrations advise applying the Category A prohibition to all plastic materials until a clear framework is established.

Cargo ship-type considerations

Bulk carriers

Bulk carriers carry additional Annex V compliance obligations:

• GRB Part II: required for bulk cargo ships, with separate HME / non-HME recording for every cargo residue discharge or hold washing operation.
• IMSBC Code interface: the shipper’s HME declaration under IMSBC Code Section 4.2 is the foundation for cargo residue classification in Part II.
• Hold cleaning water: the timing and conditions for discharging hold washing water with non-HME residue are documented in Part II.

The IMSBC Code criteria for individual solid bulk cargoes provide the technical basis for HME assessment.

Tankers

Tankers have specific interactions with Annex V:

• Tank cleaning slops: cargo tank cleaning operations overlap with Annex I and Annex II requirements depending on the cargo. Solid residues from chemical cargo tanks may qualify as HME.
• Operational waste volume: chemical-resistant packaging and sampling equipment generate operational waste requiring Category F handling.
• Cargo residue documentation: where a tank cargo leaves solid residue, the Part II recording requirements apply if the ship also carries solid bulk cargoes; for liquid cargo residues the Annex I or Annex II Oil Record Book / Cargo Record Book applies, not the Garbage Record Book.

Container ships and cargo loss

Container ships are subject to the full Annex V regime for shipboard garbage. A separate concern is cargo lost overboard in containers: the 2024 MEPC 81 amendments to MARPOL Protocol I require masters to report lost freight containers to nearby ships, coastal states, and flag states, with those requirements entering into force 1 January 2026. Container cargo containing plastic pellets lost overboard constitutes one of the higher-risk sources of bulk plastic pollution not captured by the shipboard discharge prohibition.

Cruise industry practices

Volume

Cruise ships generate substantially higher garbage volumes than cargo ships per unit time:

• Mid-size cruise ship (3,000 passengers and 1,000 crew): approximately 6 to 8 cubic metres per day uncompacted.
• Large cruise ship (5,000 passengers and 2,000 crew): approximately 12 to 15 cubic metres per day.

The volumes drive investment in multi-stream segregation, compaction, and managed reception facility transfer at every port call.

Voluntary commitments beyond Annex V

Major cruise operators and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) have adopted standards beyond the Annex V minimum, including phase-out of single-use plastics on board, separate recycling streams for aluminium, glass, and paper, and composting programmes for organic waste. Industry reporting suggests 25 to 40 percent volume reduction per passenger since 2010, though these figures are operator self-reported and vary by methodology.

STCW training

STCW Section A-V/2 familiarisation training includes MARPOL Annex V provisions. Crew responsibilities under the Annex:

• Master: overall compliance responsibility; signs GRB entries as required.
• Chief mate: typically the designated responsible officer for general garbage operations.
• Chief engineer: responsible for incinerator, compactor, and engine-room garbage.
• Galley staff: food waste segregation.
• All crew: proper category segregation of garbage they generate.

The GarMP includes a training section; flag-state auditors and PSC inspectors test crew familiarity as part of Annex V inspections.

Documentation checklist

Every ship subject to the full Annex V documentation regime carries:

• GarMP approved by the flag state.
• Garbage Record Book Part I and, for bulk cargo ships, Part II.
• Garbage handling equipment certificates including incinerator type-approval certificate under MEPC.244(66).
• Crew training records in garbage management.
• MARPOL Annex V placard posted at conspicuous locations, summarizing discharge regulations in the ship’s working language.
• Reception facility receipts for shore-side disposal.
• PSC inspection records with any Annex V deficiencies and corrective actions.

Limitations

This article summarises the Annex V framework as an educational reference, not a substitute for the regulation text itself. Several limits apply to how it should be used.

The discharge distances and conditions described here, including the 3 nm comminuted and 12 nm uncomminuted food-waste rules and the 12 nm non-HME cargo residue rule outside special areas, are the at-sea defaults under the 2013 revised Annex V in MEPC.201(62) and the 2018 amendments in MEPC.277(70). Where this summary and those instruments differ, the instruments govern. A master deciding a discharge should work from the ship’s own GarMP and the current consolidated Annex V text, not from a reference article.

Special-area stricter provisions do not take effect on the designation date. They take effect only after the IMO confirms adequate reception facility provision in the area. The Black Sea and Gulfs area stricter provisions had not yet taken effect as of early 2026; confirm the current status of any given area against the latest MEPC.1/Circ.778 revision before relying on special-area restrictions.

The HME / non-HME classification is determined before loading from the shipper’s declaration, not at discharge. A ship master cannot reclassify cargo residue as non-HME at the time of hold washing simply because it looks clean. The classification established at loading governs.

Category C domestic wastes include floating dunnage, lining, and packing materials. The 25 nm permission for floating dunnage in Regulation 4 is an exception within Category C, not a separate category. GRB Part I records floating dunnage discharge under the domestic waste (C) entry.

Conclusion

MARPOL Annex V is among the most actively enforced and operationally significant MARPOL instruments, addressing the full range of garbage generated through ship operations with a nine-category general system (Part I), a two-category cargo-residue system (Part II), a detailed documentation regime, and eight Special Areas. The framework rests on three main instruments: the 2011 revised Annex V (MEPC.201(62), in force 2013) establishing the default prohibition and category structure; the 2018 amendments (MEPC.277(70), in force 1 March 2018) introducing GRB Part II, HME criteria, and the e-waste definition; and the 2017 Guidelines (MEPC.295(71)). The 2025 MEPC Action Plan on marine plastic litter signals continuing regulatory development through 2030. Crew members and ship managers responsible for Annex V compliance must understand the category system and which letter applies to which waste type, the special-area status of the trading area, and the documentation requirements for both general garbage and cargo residues.

See also

• MARPOL Convention parent article
• MARPOL Annex V: Garbage discharge rules per-category distance and area detail
• MARPOL Annex V overview
• MARPOL Annex I: Oil Pollution Prevention
• MARPOL Annex II: Noxious Liquid Substances
• MARPOL Annex III: Harmful Substances in Packaged Form
• MARPOL Annex IV: Sewage
• MARPOL Annex VI: Air Pollution
• Polar Code
• Antarctic Special Area and Polar Code
• IMSBC Code
• Container Ship

Calculators

• MARPOL Annex V Garbage Discharge Distance Lookup
• Annex V Polar Code Garbage Rules Calculator
• MARPOL Annex V Garbage Disposal Check

References

• IMO Resolution MEPC.201(62) (adopted July 2011), Adoption of revised MARPOL Annex V (entered into force 1 January 2013).
• IMO Resolution MEPC.277(70) (adopted October 2016), Amendments to MARPOL Annex V (entered into force 1 March 2018); introduces GRB Part I/II split, HME criteria (Appendix I), and e-waste definition.
• IMO Resolution MEPC.295(71) (adopted July 2017), 2017 Guidelines for the implementation of MARPOL Annex V.
• IMO Resolution MEPC.220(63) (adopted March 2012), 2012 Guidelines for the development of garbage management plans.
• IMO Resolution MEPC.244(66) (adopted April 2014), Standard specification for shipboard incinerators.
• Polar Code Part II-A (Resolution MSC.385(94) and MEPC.264(68), in force 1 January 2017).
• MEPC.1/Circ.778/Rev.5 (May 2025), List of Special Areas and Emission Control Areas under MARPOL.
• IMO MEPC 83, 2025 Action Plan to Address Marine Plastic Litter from Ships (MEPC.404(83), adopted April 2025).