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 – 2021 Shipbreaking Records
2021 shipbreaking records: most shipping companies continue to opt for the highest price at the worst scrapping yards.
... Read MoreWhere ships go to die – Winner of the Public Eye Investigation Award
Decommissioned deep-sea vessels are floating toxic waste. Their disposal is laborious and costly, and regarded as a menace by those who want to protect both the workers… Read More
Newsroom

Press Release – Brazilian Navy suddenly seizes its old warship forcing it to sea
NGOs urgently call on President Lula to prevent Navy from sinking toxic ship in the Atlantic.
... Read More
Press Release – Brazil must allow its own toxic aircraft carrier to dock
NGOs demand urgent action of Lula administration as ship needs repair and safe harbour.
... Read More
Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #32
Eight workers suffered an accident on South Asian beaches in the last quarter of 2022.
... Read More
Press Release – Polluting shipbreaking practices threaten Ghanian shores
Ship demolition is causing marine pollution in Kpone and surrounding towns.
... Read More
Press Release – Toxic aircraft carrier dangerously drifting after weeks at sea
The toxic waste-laden aircraft carrier São Paulo is still drifting more than 12 miles off the coast of the State of Pernambuco.
... Read More
Platform publishes South Asia Quarterly Update #31
Five workers suffered an accident on South Asian beaches in the third quarter of 2022.
... Read More
Platform News – Prison sentence for attempted illegal export of the Harrier reveals reckless actions by all parties involved
The judgment, now available in English, provides shocking insights into the role played by all parties involved in the sale and transport of the end-of-life vessel.
... Read More
Press Release – Turning point: new tech and developments for a new future of ship recycling presented at the Lab
Stakeholders that are pioneering a new future for sustainable ship recycling gathered in Rotterdam at the NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s Ship Recycling Lab.
... Read More