Tag: legislation

Press Release – Stop South Korea’s toxic ship dumping

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

South Korean shipping companies continue to fuel environmental and human rights violations by offloading their end-of-life vessels on the beaches of South Asia for scrapping. Since 2020, 94 South Korean-owned vessels have been dismantled on the shores of Bangladesh and India under dirty and dangerous conditions, putting workers’ lives at risk and causing irreversible environmental damage.
 
In the last two years alone, three serious accidents, leading to deaths and injuries, have been reported on board South Korean vessels sent to South Asia for breaking. Yet, despite repeated calls for accountability, South Korean ship owners—including major players such as Sinokor, SK Shipping and H-Line—persist in selling their end-of-life assets to unscrupulous cash buyers and circumvent international regulations that require safe and environmentally sound disposal.
 
Most recently, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform alerted South Korean authorities to the illegal export of the vessel HL PYEONGTAEK (IMO 9061928), sold to cash buyer Best Oasis by H-Line and beached in Alang, India. H-Line has scrapped five vessels in the last five years and is about to retire the HL RAS LAFFAN (IMO 9176008).
 
In 2024 alone, at least 13 vessels were exported from South Korea to India and Bangladesh for breaking. International law is clear: all transboundary movements of hazardous waste, including end-of-life ships, must obtain Prior Informed Consent (PIC) from importing countries in line with the Basel Convention. Additionally, the export of end-of-life ships from OECD to non-OECD countries is strictly prohibited. Violations of these laws are serious environmental crimes, as evidenced by recent cases in the Netherlands and Norway where shipowners have faced heavy fines and prison for exporting vessels for scrapping in India and Pakistan.

 

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform calls on Sinokor, H-Line, SK Shipping and all other South Korean shipowners to stop scrapping their ships on the shores of South Asia. South Korean authorities must also act to end this toxic trade in breach of their international responsibilities under the Basel Convention, and actively promote a responsible and sustainable domestic ship recycling sector.

 

The South Korean Act on Promotion of Transition to a Circular Economy and Society recognises waste metal as a resource that can support society in transitioning toward a circular economic model. This act aims to facilitate the efficient use of resources throughout the entire lifecycle of products to minimise waste generation and promote sustainable practices. South Korea is a large ship building nation and has an important steel manufacturing sector. National shipping companies and the steel sector should be incentivised to find synergies on how high-quality ship scrap steel can contribute to the decarbonisation of the domestic steel industry, whilst the ship building sector should be encouraged to look at design for optimised material recovery.

"We invite South Korean civil society and media to collaborate with us in raising awareness of this issue and to ensure that ship recycling practices align with the country’s circular economy policies and sustainability commitments."
Benedetta Mantoan - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Platform News – EU must take action to end dumping of toxic ships and support capacity building

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The European Commission published its evaluation of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) earlier this month. The evaluation clearly identifies several issues that hinder the effectiveness of the EU SRR, including circumvention of the regulation through out-flagging and a lack of detailed EU standards for hazardous waste management and environmental monitoring. Yet, the Commission does not consider a swift revision of the EU SRR an adequate response.

"As identified in the evaluation, the EU SRR has not delivered the expected outcomes in terms of increasing the market share for sustainable ship recycling [1]. With no immediate plans for a review of the EU SRR, we urge the Commission to effectively adopt alternative measures that will boost capacity for sustainable ship recycling and prevent European shipping companies from dumping their toxic ships on beaches in South Asia."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The evaluation also announces an upcoming report on the feasibility of introducing a return scheme for ships trading in the EU to incentivise the use of EU-approved ship recycling facilities. Additionally, it aims to clarify the application of corrective and punitive actions in cases where deficiencies are identified during ship recycling facility inspections and highlights unannounced inspections as an essential tool for ensuring the effectiveness of the EU SRR.

 

To prevent the loss of skills in both the maritime and circular economy sectors and to boost capacity for handling the increasing number of vessels expected to reach end-of-life in the coming years, the EU’s approach to ship recycling must uphold the Polluter Pays principle and contribute to the general policy objectives of the European Green Deal, including optimised material recovery and zero-emission industrial activities. When formulating targets and policy measures under the Circular Economy Act, the Steel and Metals Action Plan, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and the new Clean Industrial Deal, ship recycling must be recognised as a key contributor to the decarbonisation of the European steel sector.

 

Furthermore, the evaluation finds that the standards set by the EU SRR and their implementation are not sufficiently aligned with EU safety and environmental acquis [2]. Consequently, the Commission intends to develop clearer criteria for the EU approval of ship recycling facilities. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform recommends incorporating measures to optimise material recovery from ships, particularly steel recycling operations. Clear requirements for environmental, health, and safety monitoring and reporting must also be established to ensure that all yards on the EU List operate fully in line with EU standards.

"Double standards have been identified, and they are unacceptable—if a practice is not allowed in the EU, it should not be approved on the EU List. There is no valid justification for allowing EU-flagged or EU-owned ships to be scrapped outside the EU under conditions that would not be permitted within the EU. Beaching—the scrapping of vessels on intertidal mudflats, as practised in all South Asian yards—is not allowed in the EU, nor does the cold re-rolling of scrap steel comply with EU standards."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

While the shipping industry is pressuring the EU to accept Indian beaching yards onto the EU List, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform warns that such a move would blatantly undermine the EU SRR’s objective of creating a level playing field that benefits yards operating in line with the EU safety and environmental acquis. It would also seriously threaten the future of the EU ship recycling sector and the recent investments made to establish new ship recycling facilities based on industrial platforms that provide full containment.

 

The evaluation rightly recognises that the International Maritime Organization’s Hong Kong Convention sets far weaker standards than the EU SRR. The NGO Shipbreaking Platform supports the EU’s efforts to take international leadership in amending the Hong Kong Convention to align with the EU SRR while ensuring full and effective implementation of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Waste and their Disposal as it applies to end-of-life ships.

"Efforts at the international level should not prevent the EU from addressing the issues that weaken the effectiveness of the EU SRR. Expanding the regulation’s scope to include beneficial ownership and introducing a financial incentive are both measures that could improve ship recycling regulations globally. The EU has a track record of taking the lead as an early adopter of safety and environmental measures, later championing their global implementation through the International Maritime Organisation. "
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

The Polluter Pays principle and Extended Producer Responsibility are fundamental principles of EU environmental policies and must also apply to the shipping sector. By holding EU-based shipping companies accountable—regardless of their vessels’ flags—many more ships would fall under EU regulations, ensuring alignment with broader EU corporate accountability policies. The current opacity of ownership structures in the shipping sector poses several problems, and transparency regarding the European shipping sector’s Beneficial Owners should be ensured, starting with the public disclosure of ownership details for the 21,000 ships classified as EU-owned.

 

NOTES

 

[1] The evaluation report highlights that “shipping companies did not make the shift they were expected to make towards dismantling their ships in facilities on the European List.” It identifies flagging-out from EU registries at end-of-life as a key factor undermining the effectiveness of the regulation. While flags such as Comoros, St Kitts and Nevis, and Palau are alarmingly popular at end-of-life, many EU-owned vessels never sail under an EU flag, or only do so during their early operational years. As the evaluation notes, fewer than 40 vessels are scrapped annually under an EU flag—a figure far lower than the number of ships scrapped each year by EU shipping companies, many of which end up on South Asian beaches.

 

The report further finds that shipping companies swap their EU flags for non-EU flags to access higher prices from yards not included on the EU List. While the shipping sector presents this as a key factor in maintaining global competitiveness, the report shows that the additional revenue gained from substandard shipbreaking yards represents only 0.0020% to 0.0050% of some shipping companies' annual revenues—demonstrating that the industry can afford to manage its end-of-life fleet at facilities that meet EU standards.

 

[2] Some EU-approved yards in Turkey have been found lacking essential environmental safeguards, such as oil-water separators and functional wastewater collection systems, leading to direct environmental discharge. These deficiencies contrast sharply with wastewater management requirements for yards in EU/EFTA countries. Moreover, facilities operating in Aliaga have not undergone an Environmental Impact Assessment or obtained an environmental licence in accordance with Turkish regulations. These are serious concerns that do not align with EU standards for the safe and environmentally sound management of hazardous waste.

The Toxic Tide – 2024 Shipbreaking Records

Posted on by admin_ec

THE TOXIC TIDE

The shipping industry continues to exploit workers and the environment for profit

 

According to new data released today by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, 409 ocean-going commercial ships and floating offshore units were sold to the scrap yards in 2024. Of these, 255 of the largest tankers, bulkers, floating platforms, cargo- and passenger ships ended up on the beaches of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, amounting to 80% of the gross tonnage dismantled globally.

 

Last year, at least 9 workers lost their lives when breaking apart vessels on the beach of Chattogram, Bangladesh, and another 45 were severely injured.

 

 

"We have been witnessing this environmental and human rights scandal for too long. All ship owners are aware of the dire situation at the beaching yards and the lack of capacity to safely handle the many toxic materials onboard vessels. Yet, with the help of scrap dealers, the vast majority choose to scrap their end-of-life fleet in South Asia as that is where they can make the highest profits."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

 

Explore our Data Visualisation and read our Press Release.

 

 

Ship recycling in Aliağa under the spotlight

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

SHIP RECYCLING IN ALIAGA UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has published its report Ship Recycling in Turkey: Challenges and Future Direction. While the publication provides a comprehensive analysis of the current challenges faced by the ship recycling sector in Aliağa, it also underscores the immense potential for driving forward sustainable ship recycling practices and demonstrates a clear path towards achieving this goal.

 

Turkey stands at a crossroads as the recent announcement of plot sales in October 2023 and the upcoming expiration of public land leases in 2026 create an opening to bring needed change to its ship recycling industry.

 

Some of the key operational priorities highlighted in the report include putting in place effective drainage channels and the use of oil-water separators for waste water treatment. Additionally, there is a need for third-party verification of hazardous materials during dismantling, proper operations for hazardous waste removal, and the establishment of standards for secure pulling and lifting equipment, along with introduction of proper gas-free operations and cold-cutting techniques.

 

To ensure adequate oversight of the sector, a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is necessary. This assessment should define environmental licensing processes and enforce existing legal instruments for permitting and monitoring, taking into consideration both safety and environmental aspects. It is also important to continuously monitor the environment in and around ship recycling yards to identify sources of pollution and develop effective remediation strategies. Furthermore, occupational health monitoring is required to identify the underlying causes of accidents and work-related illnesses.

 

Whilst two yards in Aliağa were removed from the EU list of approved ship recycling facilities last year, other non-compliant yards have been allowed to remain listed. As stressed in the report, the lack of governance that allows yards to operate without EIAs or adequate monitoring underscores the necessity for more frequent and unannounced EU inspections, including cross-referencing hazardous waste records and incorporating workers’ perspectives and experience to inform evaluations.

 

Recognising the pivotal role of the European Union (EU) in driving improvements, the report also recommends strengthening the criteria for ship recycling, including waste management and steel recovery operations, under the EU Ship Recycling Regulation.

 

 

Press Release – Platform publishes list of ships dismantled worldwide in 2024

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform publishes its 2024 annual list of ships dismantled worldwide. The data reveals that 80% of the global tonnage scrapped last year was broken under substandard conditions on the beaches of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

 

409 ships were dismantled globally in 2024, of which 255 ended up in South Asian yards. Bangladesh remains the shipping industry’s first choice for scrapping, despite grave consequences for workers, local communities and fragile coastal ecosystems. Nine workers lost their lives dismantling ships in South Asia in 2024, with another 45 workers injured due to unsafe working practices.

 

SN Corporation - which operates a yard on the beach of Chattogram, Bangladesh - saw one of last year’s worst accidents. While dismantling an oil tanker, a massive explosion claimed the lives of six workers and left six others with critical injuries. Investigations revealed severe negligence and disregard for safety protocols, as well as inadequate hazardous waste management. SN Corporation, which boasts holding a so-called Statement of Compliance with the Hong Kong Convention from Japanese classification society ClassNK, has lost its environmental clearance in Bangladesh as a result of the investigations.

"That a facility such as SN Corporation – and the more than 100 beaching yards that have similarly obtained Statements of Compliance – supposedly fulfils the requirements of the Hong Kong Convention says much about the low standards set by the IMO. And while the IMO also ignores everything that happens outside the facility gate – including whether or not there is adequate medical emergency response, and capacity to handle all toxic waste streams in a safe and environmentally sound manner – now, even yards that are not licensed to operate nationally maintain their Statement of Compliance. Clearly, the upcoming entry into force of the Hong Kong Convention does not provide the solutions needed to shift the sector towards sustainable ship recycling."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

DUMPERS 2024 – Worst practices

 

As in 2023, China tops the 2024 Dumpers List with more than fifty Chinese vessels sold to South Asian shipbreakers, mainly in Bangladesh. This comes despite China’s ban on the import of waste and the country’s own capacity to recycle ships in dry-dock facilities. Indeed, beaching is forbidden in China.

 

More than a dozen vessels were also beached by shipping companies headquartered in Russia, Switzerland, the Philippines, and South Korea. The Platform recently alerted South Korean authorities of the illegal export of the vessel HL PYEONGTAEK (IMO 9061928), sold to cash buyer Best Oasis and now en route to South Asia for scrapping. In 2024 no less than 13 vessels were exported from South Korea to India and Bangladesh. International law is, however, clear: all transboundary movements of hazardous waste, including end-of-life ships, need to obtain Prior Informed Consent (PIC) in line with the Basel Convention, and exports of end-of-life ships from OECD to non-OECD countries are banned. An export in breach of the Basel Convention is a serious environmental crime as witnessed by cases brought to European Courts, including now in Germanyand in Norway where Altera Infrastructure was fined for the illegal export of several vessels for scrapping in India.

 

For the second year in a row, Swiss containership giant Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) receives the notorious title of Worst Corporate Dumper, with 16 of its ships beached in India in 2024. Ignoring repeated calls from the Platform to adopt a sustainable recycling policy, MSC is the one single owner responsible for having exported the highest number of toxic end of life ships to South Asia, with more than 100 ships beached since 2009.

 

Other well-known companies — including Norwegian Green Reefers, Philippine Span Asia Carrier and South Korean Sinokor — have contributed to the shipping industry’s toxic footprint, selling their end-of-life vessels for scrapping at some of the world’s most hazardous yards in 2024. Notably, also Lila Global, acting as the ship-owning arm of cash buyer GMS, sent its vessels to the worst yards in Bangladesh and Pakistan — further exposing the hypocrisy behind its sustainability claims and greenwashing services.

 

Last year, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) adopted new decommissioning guidelines urging its members to avoid beaching and intermediaries such as cash buyers. While companies like Petrobras, SBM, and Shell already enforce no-beaching policies, offshore firms Perenco and BW Offshore respectively sold an FSO and an FPSO to beaching yards in Bangladesh and India. In 2022, the Platform reported a fatal accident at India’s Priya Blue shipbreaking yard during the dismantling of another BW Offshore asset.

 

 

As parts of the shipping industry are keen to see beaching yards rubber-stamped by the weak Hong Kong Convention that will enter into force in June this year, the European Union is still to reveal proposals for strengthening its EU Ship Recycling Regulation. Unannounced inspections by the European Commission of EU approved facilities in Turkiye have uncovered discrepancies between paper plans and actual practice, leading to several yards being removed from the EU list. High levels of pollution in the Aliaga region has now also pushed legal action by Turkish civil society organisations demanding that the sector undergoes a proper Environmental Impact Assessment. Similarly, in Canada, the residents of Union Bay remain engaged in a prolonged struggle against unregulated shipbreaking activities and insufficient regulatory measures.

"The Basel Convention recommended the phasing out of the beaching method 20 years ago and calls for full containment of pollutants and their environmentally sound management all the way to disposal. It also regulates, even bans in some cases, the international trade of hazardous wastes with an eye to protecting vulnerable communities and environments. We strongly encourage enforcement authorities globally to take actions that will effectively hold the shipping sector liable for committing serious environmental crimes, and call on policy makers to safeguard the environmental justice principles that are at the heart of the Basel Convention."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Looking ahead, policies aimed at enhancing circularity, increasing demand for scrap steel, and technological advancements will undoubtedly lead to the development of safer and cleaner ship recycling options. At the Platform’s 2nd Ship Recycling Lab, industry frontrunners showcased that viable and scalable alternatives to beaching already exist.

Read more about the pioneers of green ship recycling in our Breaking Out magazine.

 

 

For the data visualization of 2024 shipbreaking records, click here. *

For the full Excel dataset of all ships dismantled worldwide in 2024, click here. *

 

* The data gathered by the NGO Shipbreaking Platform is sourced from different outlets and stakeholders, and is cross-checked whenever possible. The data upon which this information is based is correct to the best of the Platform’s knowledge, and the Platform takes no responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided. The Platform will correct or complete data if any inaccuracy is signaled. All data which has been provided is publicly available and does not reveal any confidential business information.

 

Platform News – Turkish Civil Society Organisations take legal action to ensure Environmental Impact Assessment of the ship recycling sector in Aliağa

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

On 10 January 2024 a coalition of organisations, including Aegean Environment and Culture Platform (EGEÇEP), İzmir Bar Association, TMMOB Chamber of Architects, İzmir Medical Chamber, and eight concerned citizens, filed a lawsuit against Turkiye's Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation, and Climate Change. The legal action challenges the current exemption from the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process for the 22 ship recycling facilities operating in Aliağa. 

 

At the press conference held at the TMMOB Chamber of Architects Izmir Branch on 20 January, lawyer Arif Ali Cangı said on behalf of the Izmir Ship Dismantling Coordination Group “Since the sector started operating in Aliağa in the 1980s, companies have undergone many operational changes, the capacities of the facilities have increased and many different companies have been transferred. However, the facilities have been exempted from the EIA process. The ship breaking sector is one of the main pollution sources of the region and we are concerned that the carrying capacity of the region has long been exceeded.”

 

 

© Emirhan Durmaz / Evrensel

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform highlighted in a recent report problems related to poor law enforcement and monitoring of the ship recycling sector in Aliağa. Scientific studies, including a 2019 report by Turkey’s Ministry of Environment and a 2022 research by TÜBİTAK and Ege University, have determinedly established that the ship recycling sector is a major source of pollution in the Aliağa region. High levels of heavy metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and other toxic substances have been detected in soil and water. Alarmingly, arsenic and lead levels have surpassed limits recommended by WHO and FAO, with water quality in the area rated as poor. 

 

European Union inspection reports also reveal consistent pollution levels far exceeding acceptable thresholds. Two recycling yards in Aliağa, Şimşekler and Işıksan, were removed from the EU's list of approved ship recycling facilities in December 2022 due to their failure to meet minimum environmental and safety standards. Another yard, Egeçelik, is now also under consideration for removal in the EU's upcoming 14th edition of the list. 

 

The environmental and health impacts of the shipbreaking sector in Aliağa need to be properly understood and evaluated for effective mitigation measures to be identified. Measuring the environmental impact of the ship recycling industry furthermore requires an approach that understands the sector as a cluster, and imposes, as a result, upon all yards the implementation of equal measures to curb and contain pollution. 

"An Environmental Impact Assessment is a vital first step towards improving accountability and sustainability in the sector. Today, far too many yards simply blame the “neighbouring yard” for high pollution levels detected. It must be the role of Turkish authorities to evaluate the sector holistically with the aim of halting further accumulation of pollutants that pose serious risk to the environment and local communities."
Ekin Sakin - Policy Officer - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Similarly, the EU must ensure that facilities approved on the EU List are actually able to conduct meaningful environmental monitoring. The challenges faced by the Turkish ship recycling sector in this regard are even more acute when evaluating the environmental performance of shipbreaking yards operating on tidal mudflats, as is the case in South Asia. There, blaming neighbouring yards or historical pollution when alarming levels of heavy metals and polyaromatic hydrocarbons are detected is also common. In addition, daily tidal flows may in uncontrolled manners disperse toxic discharges – purposefully or not – and thus render their detection difficult to capture. 

 

Setting up a hazardous waste management facility on a tidal mudflat would never receive environmental clearance in the EU. It is also very likely that a proper Environmental Impact Assessment of the ship recycling sector in Turkiye will bring to light that safer and more environmentally sound techniques are needed for the safeguard of public health, local communities and the environment.

 

Platform News – Authorities and industry discuss ship recycling in Turkey at NGO Shipbreaking Platform and IMPEL workshop

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

Following the publication of a report on the Turkish ship recycling sector in Aliağa, the NGO Shipbreaking Platform and the European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) organised a workshop in  Ankara, Turkey,  on 10 December aimed at sharing knowledge and enhancing collaboration on ship recycling.

 

The workshop  brought together representatives from the European Commission, IMPEL, DNVGL, industry and civil society representatives, as well as Turkish Ministries responsible for the ship recycling sector, including the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change; the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure; and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

 

Several presentations gave the participants insights on how the ship recycling sector is regulated at national and EU level. Çağdaş Güneş from the Izmir Development Agency kick-started the discussions by presenting their analyses and possible future outlook for the sector. Okan Çetinkaya of the Ministry of Labour and Giray Işıyel from the İzmir Governorship Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization shared how their respective Ministries manage licensing and monitoring. Christelle Rousseau from the European Commission shared the updates on the EU Ship Recycling Regulation and procedures for approval on the EU List. Insights from inspections of ship recycling facilities in Aliağa were shared by Tone Knudsen-Fiskeseth of DNVGL.

© NGO Shipbreaking Platform

IMPEL representatives shared best practices in ship recycling, with the contributions from Huib van Westen of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management in the Netherlands and Beate Langset of Norway’s Environment Directorate. Evren Samur of HKTM introduced the SHEREC project on robotics and AI for ship recycling, followed by Ekin Sakin from the NGO Shipbreaking Platform who presented findings from the report Ship Recycling in Turkey: Challenges and Future Directions.

 

The workshop provided an opportunity for stakeholders to exchange ideas, including on ways to close existing legal gaps and improve information exchange. As a result of the discussions, participants emphasised the need for further cooperation and more effective sharing of data to enhance transparency and help identify possible ways forward for upgrading the ship recycling sector.

Press Release – Norwegian Altera Infrastructure avoids trial by accepting fine for illegal shipbreaking

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

The NGO Shipbreaking Platform welcomes the NOK 8 million fine imposed on Norwegian ship management company Altera Infrastructure for the illegal scrapping of the two shuttle tankers NAVION BRITANNIA and ALEXITA SPIRIT on the beach of Alang, India. Initially, the company contested the fine, and a trial was scheduled for January 2025. However, Altera has now accepted the penalty, thereby avoiding a trial.

 

Despite EU rules prohibiting the export of end-of-life ships from EU waters to non-OECD countries, the two tankers, having reached the end of their operational life, were sold sent for dismantling at a beaching facility in India. Beaching involves scrapping ships in the intertidal zone without containment and causes severe pollution, including heavy metal contamination of sensitive coastal ecosystems. Workers at these yards also face significant health and safety risks due to lack of protective measures.

"The investigations led by the Norwegian National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime (Økokrim) revealed that Altera Infrastructure chose to dismantle the ships in India. With the help of cash buyer Wirana, a scrap dealer already heavily fined in the Harrier case, Altera was able to sell the two tankers at a considerably higher price than what they would have obtained from selling to a sustainable ship recycling yard."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

As a leading maritime nation, Norway has a crucial role in ensuring its ships are recycled responsibly. This case is yet another clear message to the shipping industry that prioritising profits over environmental and social responsibilities will not be tolerated.

Press Release – MSC urged to align its operations with international environmental and labour rights standards and stop dumping its toxic waste on South Asian beaches

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

One of the world's largest container shipping companies, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), is again under the spotlight for its substandard and hazardous dismantling of obsolete vessels on tidal beaches in South Asia. While the company has repeatedly faced criticism for breaching international environmental and labour rights standards, it has so far not shown any willingness to improve its practices. 

 

Claiming to be committed to sustainable operations, MSC has received several awards including the Greenest Ship Owner of the Year at the 2018 Green Shipping Summit in Amsterdam. Yet, the Swiss shipping giant has over the last fifteen years sold more than 100 end-of-life vessels for dirty and dangerous scrapping on South Asian beaches. In the last six months only, MSC scrapped 9 ships on the beach of Alang in India - 27 in the last two years, including the MSC FLORIANA and MSC GIOVANNA. These vessels left respectively from Spanish and Turkish waters in direct violation of European and international laws prohibiting the export of hazardous waste from OECD to non-OECD countries. 

"Dumping toxic ships on tidal beaches is both environmentally destructive and exploitative of poorly-paid and unprotected workers. It constitutes a serious criminal offence, as highlighted by recent rulings in the EU (1). We have therefore alerted relevant authorities of MSC’s blatant breach of environmental law governing international waste trade, and are following up to see what action can be taken."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

MSC's poor management of its end-of-life assets is particularly deplorable given its financial strength. The company, with a staggering $86 billion turnover in 2022, is expanding rapidly, with an estimated capacity soon matching the combined fleets of competitors Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd. However, despite the financial capacity to sustainably recycle their end-of-life fleet, MSC seemingly prefers to accumulate profits by exposing workers, vulnerable coastal communities and sensitive ecosystems to harm. Indeed, with prices reaching up to $500 per Light Displacement Tonnage (LDT) for scrapping on the beaches of South Asia, MSC can earn up to three times more compared to recycling its assets in EU-approved facilities.

 

By contrast, earlier this year, MSC UK launched the Waste Shipment Intelligence Service in collaboration with the UK Environmental Agency, aiming to curb the illegal trade of waste on-board its vessels. In August this year, MSC also returned 40 containers of hazardous waste that had been illegally exported on-board two A.P. Moller-Maersk’s A/S - another company that dumps its end-of-life vessels on South Asian beaches - chartered ships from Albania.

"Whilst we applaud MSC for its commitment to assist authorities in combatting illegal waste trade, it is ironic, even hypocritical, that MSC does this all whilst continuing to dump its own toxic waste on beaches in South Asia. We urge MSC to reform its ship recycling policy to ensure that its end-of-life vessels are disposed of in line with the highest safety and environmental standards."
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform

Currently, MSC’s recycling policy remains weak, relying solely on the Hong Kong Convention (HKC), a framework widely criticised for failing to ban beaching and properly manage hazardous waste downstream. Also, while the company claims to audit scrapping yards, it provides no transparency on the process or results. Independent audits have already found major flaws in yards that claim HKC compliance, particularly in South Asia, and that are used by MSC.

 

MSC's top management also came under scrutiny from Swiss media for its aggressive lobbying efforts directed at the Swiss Federal Tax Administration (FTA). The aim was to introduce an exceptionally favourable tonnage tax regime in Switzerland, which could have resulted in virtually zero taxation for the company. According to detailed reports from Reflekt, MSC succeeded in incorporating several items from its "wish list” into the draft bill of the Swiss tonnage tax regime, including the removal of stringent requirements related to flag states and labour rights compliance. However, the National Council rejected the draft proposal in May 2024.

 

Repeated attempts by the Platform to engage with MSC’s sustainability team on their recycling policy have gone unanswered. As MSC continues to turn a blind eye to the irreversible damage caused by the poor end-of-life management of its fleet, and lobbies for lowering compliance with international labour rights, there is growing global emphasis on both environmental sustainability and corporate accountability. Companies are expected to align their operations with not only their stated values, but also the law. The Platform remains committed to assisting companies achieve this, including by means of actively supporting technological innovation and meaningful advancements in the ship recycling sector to create capacity for sustainable ship recycling. 

 

MSC’s competitor CMA-CGM is already exploring how to boost sustainable ship recycling in Europe following a commitment in 2022 to not transport plastic waste on-board its vessels.  Now is the time for MSC to show whether or not they are truly committed to sustainability throughout their entire operational chain.

 

 

NOTE

 

(1) Several high-profile legal proceedings, such as those surrounding the Harrier case, are drawing attention to persistent violations of EU laws by ship owners attempting to circumvent regulations. Criminal investigations underway in multiple EU nations, including Germany, reflect a growing international commitment to holding offenders accountable and strengthening regulatory enforcement to address environmental and labor hazards associated with unlawful shipbreaking.

 

Press Release – Ship Recycling Lab’s 2nd Edition: when ethical leadership and cutting edge technology meet, sustainable ship recycling is on the horizon!

Posted on by Nicola Mulinaris

Over 100 participants from across the globe, including recyclers, ship owners, policymakers, researchers, and environmental advocates, met in Lisbon on 9-10 October for the NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s second edition of the Ship Recycling Lab. With a sharp focus on environmental responsibility and cutting-edge technologies, the event showcased  companies that already are sustainably recycling vessels, as well as ongoing research and policy commitments aimed at further scaling and improving practices. 

 

From Brazil to the Middle East, new strategies are pushing for safe and clean ship recycling. Elegant Exit Company shared experiences recycling their first ship in a dry-dock in Bahrain, while Petrobras introduced its new "off the beach" policy and pilot projects designed to boost Brazil’s domestic capacity. In Europe - and on home-turf at the Lab - Lisnave shared that they intend to add recycling to their repair and maintenance activities at their Setubal yard. 

 

Participants at the Lab expressed keen interest to look at what the sector can offer in terms of meeting circular economy and climate objectives. Possibilities for a thriving ship recycling hub in Northern Germany driven by a demand for scrap steel were explored, and going forward, EuRIC, the European Recycling Industries' Confederation, announced at the Lab the establishment of a new working group. They will undoubtedly play an important role in raising the issue at the European level and have already identified the need to embed stricter safety and environmental benchmarks into the upcoming revision of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation to ensure a fair level playing field. 

 

 

The Lab also spotlighted the latest technological advancements, including plasma and water cutting technologies as alternatives to gas cutting, and RFID tracking and blockchain as tools for improving the management of Inventories of Hazardous Materials. AF Offshore Decom captured the attention with their groundbreaking work on upcycling decommissioned assets by generating certified second-hand steel with 95% lower CO2 emissions for the construction sector. Several projects, including SHEREC, Circles of Life, ReCab, and ShipRec, shared ongoing R&D looking at novelties in circular economy principles, including material passports, and AI integration. 

 

Unveiling their new guideline on FSO and FPSO decommissioning, the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) was another stakeholder at the Lab setting a new benchmark for industrial sustainability. Their guideline bans the use of substandard scrapping methods, including beaching, and prohibits dealings with cash buyers — a practice long criticised for fuelling unsafe and unregulated shipbreaking. 

 

Addressing how to foster industrial practices that do not compromise on protecting fragile coastal ecosystems and ocean health, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank, provided insights on how blue bonds could potentially unlock finance, marking a clear step towards integrating ship recycling into global sustainable finance frameworks. Increased traceability on scrap steel, quality and supply chain were furthermore identified as key to add value and also assist the steel sector in its transition towards meeting industrial decarbonisation targets.

"The 2nd Ship Recycling Lab aimed at paving the way for future innovations and policy reforms, so when participants left with a renewed commitment to sustainable practices and a shared ambition to drive global change, I think we succeeded! Collaboration is key to transforming the industry — only through strong partnerships between governments, industry leaders, financiers, research institutions, workers and civil society can we advance clean, safe and just ship recycling globally. We are already looking forward to the 3rd Edition of the Ship Recycling Lab! "
Ingvild Jenssen - Executive Director and Founder - NGO Shipbreaking Platform