Guidance for the Preparation and Implementation of Garbage Management Plans

The second edition of the ICS Garbage Management Plans has been published to help shipping companies comply with the latest requirements of the IMO International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), Annex V (regarding treatment and disposal of garbage). It provides updated advice to shipping companies on requirements for ships to prepare and implement Garbage Management Plans, in accordance with some important IMO amendments to MARPOL Annex V, which entered into force globally in 2013, 2017 and 2018. It also includes a complementary poster on marine plastics.

Overview of latest IMO amendments

• Amendments in force since 2013 include: increased application of the regulations, expanding their scope by broadening the definition of what constitutes garbage and introducing a general prohibition of its discharge into the marine environment (with very limited exceptions).
• Amendments in force since 2017 make the environment-related provisions of the IMO Polar Code (applicable to Annex V) mandatory.
• Amendments in force since March 2018 include: definition of 'E-waste'; new criteria to establish whether or not 'cargo residues' are harmful to the marine environment; and a new format of the Garbage Record Book which has been divided into two parts.

Complementary IMO Guidelines
This second edition takes full account of the IMO 2017 Guidelines for Implementation of MARPOL Annex V, which are intended to provide a uniform format for the development of Plans and to assist ship operators to implement Regulation 10 of MARPOL Annex V.