Since 1998, UK ports, terminals, and marinas have produced waste management plans detailing how they organise and provide port reception facilities for ship generated waste.
Since 1998, UK ports, terminals, and marinas have produced waste management plans detailing how they organise and provide port reception facilities for ship generated waste.
Each port operator is required to prepare a plan for the approval by the local office of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. These plans detail how the operators organise and provide port waste reception facilities. Since 2003 these plans have also covered waste arising from cargoes and associated activities. Ships must deliver their waste to port reception facilities before leaving port, unless they have sufficient dedicated storage capacity for the waste and for it to be accumulated until the next port of call.
This has helped discourage waste from being discharged into the ocean. Further changes to port waste management plans are likely to come into effect in the next few years.