The IMO is working to ensure the safe transit of plastic pellets carried on ships, which can harm the marine ecosystem if spilt into the water. IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 11) met from February 19 to 23 at IMO Headquarters in London and agreed on draft recommendations regarding the carriage of plastic pellets by sea and draft rules for cleaning up plastic pellet spills from ships.
The draft guidelines for transporting plastic pellets by sea in freight containers include the following actions:
Plastic pellets should be put in high-quality packaging that is sturdy enough to withstand the regular shocks and loads encountered during transportation. Packaging should be designed and closed to avoid any loss of contents caused by normal transport conditions, such as vibration or acceleration.
Transport paperwork should explicitly indicate which freight containers contain plastic pellets. Furthermore, the shipper should accompany the cargo information with a particular stowage request that specifies correct stowage.
Freight containers containing plastic pellets should be securely stowed and secured to reduce the threats to the marine environment without jeopardising the safety of the ship and its crew. Specifically, they should be stowed under the deck wherever reasonably practicable or inboard in sheltered areas of exposed decks.
In the case of a spill, the draft clean-up guidelines offer practical direction to government officials and other groups in formulating large-scale national strategies as well as smaller-scale site-specific response plans. The standards address contingency planning, response, post-spill monitoring and analysis, intervention, and cost recovery. These will be updated as the industry acquires experience with their use.
The draft clean-up recommendations will be presented to MEPC 82 in October for review. The Sub-Committee requested that Member States begin implementing the guidelines as soon as possible, pending formal approval.
The Subcommittee also discussed potential revisions to IMO-required plastic pellet instruments in detail, which will be continued in future sessions.
Plastic pellets are small plastic granules commonly utilised as raw materials in the manufacture of plastic items. Spills in the ocean, which are typically transported by the tonne in freight containers, can affect marine life and impact fishing, farming, and tourism. The most recent large event occurred off the coast of Galicia in Spain, where millions of pellets washed ashore following an inadvertent release from a ship.
Other major topics covered at PPR 11 include the impact of Black Carbon emissions on the Arctic environment, in-water cleaning guidance to support the implementation of the 2023 Biofouling Guidelines, discharge water from exhaust gas cleaning systems, improving the lifetime performance of sewage treatment plants, and reporting lost fishing gear.
According to the IMO, a comprehensive report of the findings of the PPR11 session will be provided soon.