Managing Port and Shipping Waste Challenges and Best Practices
PUBLICATION DATE:
Friday, October 21, 2022
PUBLICATION TYPE:
Policy Briefs
STATUS:
Only Available Online
DESCRIPTION:
This paper seeks to provide a review of the development of port sustainability in concept and in practice, with a specific focus on waste management systems within ports. The handling and treatment of ship waste discharge has evolved over time, as shipping has changed and as the understanding of the human impact on the environment has increased.
The general trend among international regulations surrounding waste is to shift it away from disposal at sea and towards disposal on land. There is also a trend towards increasing the efficiency and potentially recyclability of waste, meaning actions such as waste segregation are becoming increasingly important.
Such trends mean greater need at ports for efficient and effective waste management systems, which must receive increasing levels of waste from ships, even as the global shipping industry continues to expand. Waste management has become a key role of ports, with such waste needing to be removed from ships through port just like goods and passengers.
Efficient waste management provides a good service for ports with positive economic, environmental, and reputational benefits. Those with the best capacity to deal with a particular ship’s waste is more likely to see that ship call there. Ports which can rapidly shift waste will have quicker ship turnaround, decreasing wasted ship time and increasing port throughput.
At the same time, as waste management may prove an economic burden, imposing sanitary and safety concerns as well as more direct disposal costs, for both ports and shipping, it needs to take place within a robust regulatory and monitoring framework. Ports and ships working to meet established standards are at a disadvantage if others are avoiding compliance. As a result, improved sustainability is best achieved through broader engagement in developing regulations and monitoring and enforcement mechanisms through transparent stakeholder consultation including port authorities, shipping representatives, local communities living near the ports, and local and national authorities.
Around the world, there are many innovative practices to improve waste operations. Increased digitization allows for earlier notification of incoming waste, better monitoring of waste flows, and easier sharing and analysis of data. Improved segregation on both ships and in ports allows for waste to be more efficiently, and more effectively, treated. Some waste may even undergo minimal treatment while on ships. New waste fee structures accommodating such changes and other considerations are needed to create appropriate incentive structures.
As with regulations, innovations can benefit from enhanced cooperation among stakeholders. Ports can engage with governments and the private sector to prompt attention to shipping-related innovation. Mixed funding schemes, such as public-private partnerships, provide more opportunities for ports to improve and futureproof their activities.
As understanding and research and innovative technologies around waste management continue to increase, national and international expectations are likely to change with changing knowledge. At the same time, shipping volumes will likely keep rising as the global economy expands.
As a hub of the global shipping network, the fate of the seas of East Asia is intertwined with the sustainability of global shipping. While this will be a challenge, it also provides an opportunity, for the ports around these seas to become global leaders in port sustainability innovation.
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
-
Xiamen Ministerial Declaration 2024
The Xiamen Ministerial Declaration, adopted by PEMSEA country partners in November 2024, strengthens regional commitments for sustainable ocean governance in East Asian Seas. The declaration emphasizes 10 synergistic actions across effective governance, ocean health, blue economy, and food security, while advancing the SDS-SEA Implementation Plan 2023-2027 and PEMSEA 2030 Roadmap through collaborative partnerships.
-
PEMSEA eBulletin - November 2024
Dear PEMSEA community,
That’s a wrap for East Asian Seas Congress (EASC) 2024!
As we close the successful EASC 2024 held in Xiamen, China, we look back at inspiring discussions, collaborations, and groundbreaking initiatives that helped achieve our collective commitment to a sustainable and resilient future!
This month, we extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who made EASC 2024 a success. Check out the key takeaways from the Xiamen Ministerial Declaration, discover how the EASC Exhibition celebrated 30 years of regional cooperation, and revisit the many highlights of this landmark event.
A Heartfelt Thank You!
To all delegates, convenors, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, and ocean leaders, we extend our deepest gratitude for your exceptional contributions to the success of the EASC 2024!
This year’s Congress brought together 855 participants from 20 countries, a potent pool of ideas and experiences. From 171 speakers leading 35 sessions, the creativity and enthusiasm of our 50 exhibitors, and the support of our nine sponsors, every milestone of the Congress was filled with collaboration, learning and the essence of partnerships.
We explored important themes through our plenary sessions, including:
- Ocean Innovations and Financing
- Ocean Science, Policy, and Practice
- Global Challenges, Local Solutions
Parallel sessions took a closer look into selected topics like climate action, biodiversity and sustainable development, while our exhibits showcased cutting-edge solutions and technologies for ocean sustainability.
With representation from 20 countries, 88 IGOs and NGOs, 42 local host institutions, 47 academic institutions, 22 local governments, 6 donor agencies and foundations, 15 business organizations, and over 200 youth participating as speakers, delegates, and dedicated volunteers, the Congress truly reflected a “whole of society” approach.
Your contributions and engagement made this Congress a celebration of “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.” Together, we tackled the big questions, shared ideas and built lasting partnerships to protect our coastal communities and our shared ocean.
See you at the 9th EAS Congress in 2027!
-
The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System
The Guidebook on the State of the River Basin (SORB) Reporting System is intended for local governments and/or river basinorganizations in the East Asian Seas region currently or planning to implement integrated river basin management (IRBM)/integratedwater resources management (IWRM) programs. It provides guidance in establishing a regular monitoring, evaluation (M&E) and reporting mechanism, and discusses the requirements, the basis and importance of implementing and sustaining the SORB reporting system.
-
PEMSEA eBulletin - October 2024
Dear PEMSEA community,
Are you excited for the upcoming East Asian Seas Congress?
We have just a week to go before EASC 2024 kicks off in Xiamen, so the final countdown has officially begun! With over 600 participants from 20 countries, 50 exhibitors and 35 session convenors, our October E-Bulletin gives you a glimpse of what awaits participants at the EAS Congress 2024!
Happening from 6 to 8 November 2024 at the Xiamen International Convention Center, EASC 2024 promises powerful plenary sessions and no less than 26 parallel sessions covering critical ocean topics.
This joint effort by PEMSEA, the Ministry of Natural Resources of China, and the Xiamen Municipal People’s Government will bring together global stakeholders under the theme, “Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean.”
-
IRBM Stories - Pasac-Guagua Watershed: A Sanctuary for Wildlife and People
Located in the central region of northern Philippines, the Pasac -Guagua Watershed is a critical source of water and livelihood that supports 152 villages within the watershed. It is one of the major river systems that drain to Manila Bay, considered the main harbor of the country that is connected to a larger marine ecosystem, that is, the South China Sea.
The Pasac-Guagua Watershed is also a biodiversity haven where a portion of it is an important migratory path for water birds. The protection and sustainable management of the watershed is essential not only for the communities and wildlife thriving in the area for coastal and marine ecosystems connected to the river.