Lucion Marine on Global Recycling Day (18 March)

Today, the 18th of March marks Global Recycling day. Created in 2018 by the Global Recycling Foundation, the days helps to recognise and celebrate the importance recycling plays in preserving our precious primary resources and securing the future of our planet.

Global Recycling Day is calling for a “common, joined-up approach to recycling” which, it says, is urgently needed. 

Lucion Marine caught up with the leading figures in the shipping industry shaping the future of ship recycling and asked them about the importance of recycling ships and the prospects for a common approach.

Thank you to the contributors - GMS, Inc., Danish Shipping and PHP Family

At the end of their lives, most ships are dismantled and an overwhelming percentage of the materials recovered are recycled. For example, steel is used in the construction industry and generators are reused as a back-up power supply in schools and hospitals.

In 2009, The Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships was adopted at the IMO. 

Once in force, parties will be required to take effective measures to ensure that ship recycling facilities under their jurisdiction comply but the Convention has yet to enter into force.

Disposing of a ship after it reaches the end of its service life also produces waste, posing a potential hazard to worker safety and the environment.

Important to ensure that ships, when being recycled, do not pose any unnecessary risks to human health, safety and the environment.

Address all the issues around ship recycling including environmentally hazardous substances such as

• Asbestos
• Heavy Metals
• PCBs
• Ozone-depleting Substances

Recycling also allows materials to be extracted, reused and repurposed.

Ship recycling centres like the stretch of coastline in Alang, India also offer jobs and boosts the local economy.

Under the HKC, before a ship is dismantled, the Ship Recycling Plan (SRP) details how the yard will dispose of the ship’s hazardous materials and what precautions will be taken against unsafe situations. 

The growing emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) by shipping’s banks and cargo clients is driving the move towards greater transparency in ship recycling, leading to safer, cleaner conditions.

Lucion is uniquely positioned to help shipowners and yards during the transition to safer, cleaner ship recycling.

• Recycling supervision - ensuring adherence to owner’s recycling policies during dismantling.
• Support and guide ship recyclers through the process of preparing for Shipyard Facilities Audit, including undertaking EU Ship Recycling Regulation Compliance Audits
• Producing internationally recognised SRP and SRFP to ensure compliance with the Hong Kong Convention and the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

For any questions or further information and advice, please contact us at enquiries@lucionmarine.com.