Maritime waste recycling for cruise and commercial vessels

Benefits to international vessels who participate in this Pilot include:

• potential vessel cost savings to manage onboard waste for recycling
• promote vessel’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions
• reduce shipboard waste going to landfill
• protect ecosystems and wildlife
• conserve natural resources
• influence future maritime waste recycling measures in Australia.

International cruise and commercial vessels seeking to join the DMWRP must submit a proposal request via email to conveyance.maritime@aff.gov.au.

The following information for each participating vessel must be included within the request:

• number, IMO and name of participating vessel
• voyage details and proposed waste discharge port/s
• name of waste providers under an Approved Arrangement and recycle providers.

Upon consideration of the request, vessels will be provided additional information for the crew to follow, including the DMWRP Cleaning and Segregation Guide and Verification Form.

In order to participate in the DMWRP, you will need to:

• submit a proposal request to conveyance.maritime@aff.gov.au (see above)
• ensure your vessel can comply with the department's guide on how to clean and segregate eligible waste for recycling
• ensure your crew are trained to recycle eligible waste per the provided guide
• clean recyclable waste with hot water to remove biological matter and food residue
• ensure segregation of waste for recycling is maintained throughout the voyage (from the international departure port to the vessel’s arrival at an Australian port)
• for smaller volumes, place recyclables in bags, boxes or in bins located away from ineligible biosecurity waste
• for larger volumes, segregate recyclables into bins, bulk bags, or bulk boxes on ISPM-15 wooden or plastic pallets
• all recyclable material ‘Waste Discharge Inspection’ requests must be submitted in the Maritime & Aircraft Reporting System (MARS) as part of the Commercial Vessel Pre-Arrival Report or Cruise Vessel’s Pre-Arrival Report prior to arrival at first port in Australia
• segregated recyclables must be clearly labelled before inspection by a biosecurity officer.

Operators of commercial and cruise vessels must comply with requirements administered by the department to protect against biosecurity risks.

As outlined in the department’s Cleaning and Segregation Guide, vessels can only clean and segregate the following materials for recycling treatment:

• aluminium
• plastic beverage containers, bottles and cups
• hard plastic bottles and containers*
• glass bottles and jars
• tin and steel cans
• clean cardboard and paper

*Containers which held dairy, eggs or meat are ineligible

To find out more about specific import conditions, visit BICON.