Waste Management and Resource Efficiency

Abstract

From time immemorial, ships are considered as a vital part of interna- tional trade and contribute a lot to the economic prosperity of a country. But after an average life of thirty years at sea, vessels are sent to ship breaking yards for demolition. The main categories of ships include general cargo, bulk freighter, oil and chemical tankers, container cargo, reefer and passenger vessels. Over the last few decades, recycling of end-of-life vessel is a key economic activity and has been concentrated in a few developing South Asian countries namely India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The extraction of economically reusable materials like steel from vessels is often encountered with hazardous materials. The hazardous wastes cre- ated from ship recycling activity mainly consist of asbestos, glass wool, bilge water, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), ozone-depleting substances (ODSs), paints, tributyltin (TBT), heavy metals, waste organic and inorganic liquids (acids), oily rags, oily sludge and miscellaneous (like sewage). The workforce engaged in this sector gets exposed to various contaminants during vessel dismantling process as well as some portion of hazardous wastes may get released into the surrounding environment. The demolition and recycling of ships is a hazardous endeavour that involves a necessity for adequate measures to protect the marine environment, to ensure environmentally safe and sound management of hazardous waste and to guarantee health and safety requirements for the workforce. This present paper will provide a short overview of the hazardous wastes generated at ship breaking yards and current practices for management of such wastes. India accounts for around 20– 30% of the ship demolished and recycled at the international maritime market. Hence, the implications of such hazardous waste management to India and the need for promoting research for clean and green practices along with stringent measures are discussed in this paper. The overview touches upon the legal framework under Indian and international purview in dealing with safe recycling of ships. The suggestive measures for the improvement of the hazardous waste management are also articulated in this paper. The research work is in progress.