Environment

The Advantages of Ocean Waste Management

In tandem with the International Maritime Organisation’s latest steps to address the environmental challenges facing shipping, transportation and other marine-centric sectors, the maritime industry is also under increasing pressure to ensure any waste is handled properly.

Globally, the general consensus is that land-based sources of rubbish are to blame for the unfathomable levels of trash in the oceans. This includes litter deposited in rivers or on beaches as well as runoff from stormwater drains. However, with the fight to clean up our oceans only intensifying, the maritime industry is currently facing its own share of scrutiny over unsustainable practices. In recent years, a number of environmental organisations have called for the maritime sector, including its vessels and ports, needs to do more to face up to their own contribution to the amount of waste accumulating in our oceans. This is where ocean waste management comes in.

So what is ocean waste management? And what are the advantages of implementing more sustainable measures for the maritime sector?

What is ocean waste management?

As the name suggests, ocean waste management is the management of harmful rubbish, waste and water pollution in the world’s oceans and seas. Water pollution is extremely harmful and can devastate water quality as well as cause undue harm to humans, land animals and marine ecosystems. Ranging from substances as harmful as an oil spill or toxic waste from a factory to something as simple as a discarded can of lemonade or plastic straw, water is particularly vulnerable to pollution due to its solubility and can dissolve more pollution than any other liquid on earth. This is why ocean waste management plays such a crucial role in the clean-up of our oceans.

80% of marine pollution comes from land. Although many assume this is from farms, factories and towns where streams and rivers transport pollutants such as chemicals, fertilisers and heavy metals into our bays and estuaries, the maritime sector and its enormous number of busy international ports and onshore infrastructure also have a role to play. It is also crucial that the maritime sector implement ocean waste management as well as other sustainable initiatives at sea on board its many vessels.

The advantages of ocean waste management

Alongside the International Maritime Organisation, a number of seafaring nations from around the world have adopted a number of international conventions to address the issue of ocean waste. From the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, the maritime sector’s impact on our oceans is certainly not due to a lack of legislation or regulation from governing bodies.

When it comes to the accumulation of waste and rubbish in our oceans, the primary focus needs to be stemming from the source both on land and at sea. As many ports and shipping businesses operating within the maritime sector are already major contributors to economic growth worldwide, the introduction of more sustainable practices in the industry such as green corridors, environmentally friendly marine water solutions and the elimination of single-use plastic, has the potential to spur additional global investment in renewable projects across a number of different industries – not just the maritime sector.

Ocean waste management harbours a number of advantages for the maritime sector. This is particularly pertinent where you consider the oceans as a living, vital contributor to marine-centric operations – after all, the maritime sector uses the world’s oceans to transport roughly 90% of the world’s trade. As a result, it is in the sector’s best interest to implement more sustainable measures in its day-to-day operations. This is where ocean waste management comes into play.

So what initiatives can the maritime sector implement?

Actively reduce waste, recycle and put an end to single-use plastic

The waste and rubbish created on board the ships and vessels of the maritime industry, including single-use plastics, packaging materials, cleaning supplies and rags, as well as paper products, food waste, paints, solvents and chemicals, contribute significantly to water pollution at sea. As a result, treating and disposing of waste properly is an essential part of ocean waste management.

To clean up our oceans and allow for a safe and healthy work environment at sea, the greatest possible effort should be placed into waste reduction through a forward-thinking ocean waste management strategy across the entire maritime sector. In order to proactively minimise waste, seafarers who work in the industry should also actively take part in reducing the quantity of rubbish produced aboard ships and disposed of in the ocean. Many companies operating within the sector are already committing to a reduction in ocean pollution, with many utilising more sustainable practices onboard as well as ditching single-use plastic for reusable bottles, cutlery and packaging.

Commit to zero carbon shipping

International shipping emits 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To decarbonise the sector and curb emissions, particularly emissions resulting from the shipping and transportation sector, the International Maritime Organisation has agreed to reduce emissions by at least 50% by 2050.

Although decarbonising ship management services and other significant marine-centric operations sounds ambitious, lessening the sector’s environmental impact by implementing zero carbon shipping will have a dramatic impact on water pollution.

More proactive maintenance

There is already a degree of proactive maintenance within the maritime sector. However, there has been a number of technical advancements in recent years, meaning processes such as condition monitoring can now use more modern concepts such as data analytics to unearth insights and predict future trends. This means large and small businesses alike operating side by side within the sector are able to make informed, data-driven decisions that are better for the planet – without impacting productivity or profitability. This proactive approach to ocean waste management is already being utilised in a number of ways, from fuel and oil testing to underwater marine services.

Green corridors

As the name suggests, green corridors would mean the maritime sector committed to decarbonising ports and shipping routes, as well as vessels through green retrofitting. Green corridors have already been implemented to an extent, with specific ports, shipping routes and ships around the world already committing to decarbonisation.

Combined with zero carbon shipping, the decarbonisation of the entire maritime sector through green corridors could be the engine that drives more environmentally sustainable development across the world’s major industries. With enough collaborative action, it also has the potential to spur additional investment across the world in renewable projects in both the maritime sector and other crucial industries.

Final thoughts

So what is ocean waste management? And what are the advantages of implementing more sustainable measures for the maritime sector?

Hand in hand with the International Maritime Organization’s most recent efforts to address sustainability challenges facing the industry, the maritime sector is also under increasing pressure to implement ocean waste management and other environmentally friendly initiatives in its day-to-day operations.

Ocean waste management boasts a number of advantages for the maritime sector. From green corridors and eliminating single-use plastic to zero-carbon shipping, the industry is already taking steps towards a greener, more sustainable future.

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