SHIPBREAKING
A DIRTY AND DANGEROUS INDUSTRY
SHIPBREAKING
A DIRTY AND DANGEROUS INDUSTRY
SHIPBREAKING
A DIRTY AND DANGEROUS INDUSTRY

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform is a global coalition of organisations working to reverse the environmental harm and human rights abuses caused by current shipbreaking practices and to ensure the safe and environmentally sound dismantling of end-of-life ships worldwide.
Just as the goods they transport, ships too become waste when they reach the end of their operational lives. Yet only a fraction is handled in a safe and clean manner. The vast majority of the world's end-of-life fleet, full of toxic substances, is simply broken down - by hand - on the beaches of South Asia. There, unscrupulous shipping companies exploit minimal enforcement of environmental and safety rules to maximise profits.
A GLOBAL ISSUE
Exporters of toxic ships
Ship owners from East Asia and Europe top the list of dumpers that sell ships for breaking on South Asian beaches.
Shipbreaking countries
In Bangladesh, India and Pakistan ships are broken apart directly on the beach instead of in an industrial site: a practice known as "beaching".
Since 2009:
SPOTLIGHT
The Toxic Tide – 2024 Shipbreaking Records
2024 shipbreaking records: most shipping companies continue to opt for the highest price at the worst scrapping yards.
... Read MoreShip recycling in Aliağa under the spotlight
NGOs call on Turkey and the EU to bring needed change and transition the sector towards dry docks.
... Read MoreNewsroom
Press Release – Ship recycling can and should boost circularity, sustainable transition, and creation of green jobs in the EU steel and recycling sectors
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform, Recycling Europe, and EUROFER publish a joint statement calling the EU for a recognition of the strategic importance of the European ship recycling… Read More
Platform News – Workshop on Best Available Techniques in ship recycling held at University of Strathclyde, followed by a visit to Kishorn Dry Dock
The NGO Shipbreaking Platform successfully organised a workshop on Best Available Techniques (BAT) in ship recycling at the Technology and Innovation Centre, University of Strathclyde, followed by… Read More
Press Release – EU urged to halt approvals of hazardous shipbreaking facilities in Aliağa, Turkey
Turkish and European civil society is urging the EU to revoke the approvals of ship recycling yards that put workers and the environment at risk. In… Read More
Press Release – Ship scrap steel can help decarbonise European steelmaking, highlights a new report
NGO Shipbreaking Platform, in collaboration with Sandbag – Smarter Climate Policy and the University of Tuscia, publishes a thorough report on the role of scrap steel from… Read More
Platform News – EU Circular Economy Act: ship recycling can help decarbonise the EU’s steel and construction sectors
With a significant number of ships expected to reach the end of their service life in the coming years, ship recycling presents a strategic opportunity for Europe… Read More
Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #43
Fifteen workers suffered an accident on South Asian beaches in the third quarter of 2025.
... Read More



