Waste Management
Waste generated during a ships voyage includes domestic waste, cooking oil, food waste, plastics, electronic waste, etc. If not treated properly, it may cause impact on marine ecology.
Waste Management Policies and Practices
Shih Wei Navigation updated its Waste Management Plan in accordance with the IMO MEPC.277(70), regulating the waste collection, treatment, storage, and discharge procedures to commonly maintain the marine environment. For waste generated during the ship’s voyage, including domestic waste, cooking oil, food waste, plastic products, and electronic waste, we require all the ships of the Company to strictly abide by the Waste Management Plan in accordance with the requirements stipulated in IMO’s Guidelines for the Development of Garbage Management Plans, and actual implementation is required to achieve the purpose of waste reduction and environmental pollution prevention.
Shih Wei Navigation’s Head Office belongs to general office environment, and the waste generated is domestic waste of the employees. In accordance with the Company’s environmental policy and relevant environmental laws and regulations set by the government, waste is classified into general waste, recyclable resources (paper, PET bottles, cans), which is disposed of by a commissioned third-party waste disposal operator. After proper recycling of reusable and recyclable materials, unrecyclable waste is eventually disposed of by means of incineration of landfill. In 2022, there was no incident of any waste violation by the waste disposal operator. Furthermore, to contribute to the environment, we have been upholding the concept of taking specific actions from little things. For example, we promote the policy of reducing paper consumption in the office, give priority to using wastepaper in photocopying, make good use of the printing functions like selecting printing multi-pages on one sheet and/or duplex to save paper and toner consumption. In addition, we also introduced digital tools such as electronic sign-off, and electronic access control & attendance management system, greatly reducing paper consumption in the office.
Ship Waste Management Process
Shih Wei Navigation’s Waste Management Plan came into effect on March 1, 2018, strictly requiring all ships to manage waste in accordance with this Plan for effective waste management to prevent environmental pollution. Sea crews are also required to fill in the Garbage Record Book when disposing waste.
Ship waste treatment must be explained from the source of waste. "Ship waste" refers to various food wastes, domestic wastes, operational wastes, all plastics, cargo residues, cooking oil, fishing gear, animal carcasses, etc., generated during the normal operation of the ship that requires continuous or regular treatment.
Due to limited storage space on board, in addition to proper waste classification, waste reduction is also necessary. To minimize ship waste generation, the fleet follows the waste management principles and measures stipulated in the Waste Management Plan. All crew members are required to bring as few items that may generate waste as possible and to choose reusable items and containers. Combustible waste is incinerated in accordance with the design of onboard incinerators and regulatory requirements to achieve waste reduction. During port calls, waste disposal contractors are engaged based on the current waste storage situation to collect and recycle or treat the waste onshore, reducing waste disposal at sea and contributing to environmental protection.
The most common ship waste is food waste, which is generated daily. Its main treatment method follows the regulations of MARPOL 73/78 Annex V, and it can only be discharged into the sea in specific areas after proper processing. Next are domestic waste and cargo residues; however, plastic waste and domestic waste are prohibited from being discharged into the sea. Other waste is treated through onboard incineration (such as domestic waste) or sent for onshore recycling. For more details, please refer to the explanation in the table - Statistics of various types of waste treatment by the fleet in the past three years. The treatment process of ship waste is as follows:
Statistics of different types of waste treated by the fleet in the past three years
Unit: Metric ton(s)
| Garbage Categories | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | Disposal method(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic | 5.343 | 5.837 | 9.280 | Incineration, onshore collection |
| Food wastes | 115.365 | 107.943 | 137.898 | Ocean dumping, incineration, onshore collection |
| Domestic wastes | 17.483 | 13.490 | 28.142 | Incineration, onshore collection |
| Cooking oil | 1.673 | 2.136 | 1.970 | Incineration, onshore collection |
| Incinerator ashes | 5.766 | 5.539 | 5.297 | Onshore collection |
| Operational wastes | 37.148 | 54.770 | 42.635 | Onshore collection |
| Animal carcasses | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | - |
| Fishing gear | 0.032 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Onshore collection |
| Electronic waste | 27.988 | 1.031 | 6.059 | Onshore collection |
| Cargo residues (free from harm to the marine environment) |
1,085.991 | 431.493 | 151.784 | Ocean dumping, onshore collection |
| Cargo residues (harmful to the marine environment) |
0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Onshore collection |
| Total | 1,296.788 | 622.238 | 383.063 |
Note:
- 1. Incineration refers to the method of using the ship’s incinerator to reduce the subsequent waste disposal amount
- 2. Onshore collection refers to waste being transported by qualified vendors approved by port authorities, as arranged by the port agent. All waste is treated in accordance with local regulations. Therefore, the final disposal method of onshore collected waste cannot be trace
- 3. Ship waste is measured in cubic meters (m3) and converted into metric tons using conversion factors for various types of waste
Disposal of Decommissioned Ships
Currently, the average age of Shih Wei Navigation’s vessels is about 10 years, and there is no need to dispose of decommissioned ships. Based on the concepts of environmental protection and sustainable management, and in response to the IMO’s Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (also known as the Hong Kong ConventionNote) established in 2009 and the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU-SRR), the Company focuses on the process of reusing and recycling ships. As part of its commitment to circular economy practices in ship usage and recycling, the company has been progressively planning to implement the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) for its fleet, including its collection, maintenance, and updates. As of 2022, the IHM compilation has been completed for 22 vessels, achieving a completion rate of 66.67%.
Through public disclosure, Shih Wei Navigation aims to reduce the use or the generation of hazardous substances, lower the impact and hazards on the environment, and the health and safety of the workers by taking the initiative in being responsible for the final dismantling and recycling of decommissioned ships so as to respond to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Inventory of Hazardous Materials Compilation in 2022
Number of Vessels Completed
22 vessels
Achievement Rate
66.67%
NOTE:
IMO established the “Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships”, or “Hong Kong Convention” in 2009, this convention applies environmental principles throughout the entire life cycle of ships, including design, construction, operation, and dismantling, to ensure the safety and health of stakeholders and minimize environmental impact. According to the Hong Kong Convention, ships intended for dismantling and recycling must provide an inventory of hazardous substances. Ship recycling facilities are also required to submit a Ship Recycling Plan for review by the Classification Society before commencing ship breaking. The plan must provide detailed procedures for dismantling each ship's structure and handling hazardous materials, along with taking necessary measures to protect workers and the environment at the ship recycling facility. However, the Convention has not yet come into force because the combined gross tonnage (GT) of contracting countries' merchant ships does not exceed 40% of the global merchant fleet's total tonnage.