Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted guidelines for the
implementation of MARPOL 73/78 and has also worked extensively on the issue of
port reception facilities. In addition, a number of recommendations, including the
need for waste management plans, have been adopted.
5.4.1.2 Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Dumping
of Wastes
The London Convention signed in 1972 covers the control of dumping of waste
at sea. Annex I of the convention lists wastes and other materials, which must not
be dumped. It is recognised that plastic materials, and other materials that may
cause problems of entanglement and ingestion by marine organisms, constitute an
environmental hazard, and thus dumping of such waste materials is prohibited.
The convention is applicable to wastes from land-based sources that are loaded onto
ships for the deliberate purpose of dumping them at sea and to dredged spoil.
5.4.1.3 Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and their Disposal
The Basel Convention, in 1999, addressed the problems and challenges posed by the
transboundary movements, and the environmentally sound management of hazardous
wastes and other wastes.
Any hazardous (in the sense of the convention) marine litter from land-based sources
would fall under the scope of the Convention. Solid plastic waste, for instance,
would not generally be considered as a 'Basel' waste unless it exhibits any hazardous
characteristics as identiied in the convention (Annex III) and is listed under Annex
IX, List B of the convention.
One of the technical guidelines for the environmentally sound management of
hazardous and other wastes, adopted by the parties to the Basel Convention was the
'
Technical Guidelines for the Identiication and Environmentally Sound Management
of Plastic Waste and for their Disposal
'. The Basel Declaration enhances the
prevention, minimisation, recycling, recovery and disposal of hazardous and other
wastes, including that of the plastic wastes dumped into the sea. This should be done
taking into account social, technological and economic concerns, the active promotion
and use of cleaner technologies and production methods, further reduction of the
movement of hazardous and other wastes, prevention and monitoring of illegal
trafic, improvement of institutional and technical capabilities - through technology
when appropriate - especially for developing countries and countries with economies
