Plastic pellets are widely used as raw materials for manufacturing plastic products. The transportation of plastic pellets in the ocean is usually carried out by freight containers in tons. The leakage of plastic pellets will undoubtedly harm marine life and affect fishing, aquaculture, and tourism activities. The most recent major accident occurred on the coast of Galicia, Spain, where millions of plastic particles accidentally leaked from the ship and were later washed ashore.
From February 19th to 23rd, 2024, the Pollution Prevention and Response Subcommittee (PPR 11) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) held a meeting at the IMO headquarters in London and agreed on draft recommendations on the transportation of plastic pellets by sea, as well as draft guidelines for cleaning up plastic pellets leaked from ships.
The proposed draft for transporting plastic pellets by sea using freight containers includes the following actions:
1. Plastic pellets should be packaged with high-quality materials, and their strength should be sufficient to withstand the impacts and loads commonly encountered during transportation. The construction and closure of packaging should prevent any loss of the packaged material that may occur under normal transportation conditions due to vibration or acceleration.
2. The transportation information should clearly indicate the freight container containing plastic pellets. In addition, the shipper should supplement special stowage requirements in the cargo information, requiring correct stowage.
3. Freight containers containing plastic pellets should be properly loaded and secured to minimize harm to the marine environment while not compromising the safety of the vessel and its personnel. Specifically, they should be stored under the deck or stored in an open deck shelter area where reasonably feasible.
These recommendations aim to prevent the occurrence of plastic particle leakage and will be urgently reviewed and approved by the 81st meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81) on March 18, 2024.
Once a plastic particle leak occurs, the draft cleaning guidelines will provide practical guidance for government authorities and other entities to develop large-scale national strategies and small-scale on-site specific response plans. This guide covers emergency planning, response, post leak monitoring and analysis, as well as intervention measures and cost recovery. As more experience is gained in application, the content of the guide will be updated accordingly.
The Subcommittee on Pollution Prevention and Response requests member states to implement these guidelines as early as possible before they are officially approved. The subcommittee also extensively discussed possible amendments to mandatory International Maritime Organization documents related to plastic pellets and will continue these discussions at future meetings.
Other key issues discussed by the Pollution Prevention and Response Subcommittee include the impact of black carbon emissions on the Arctic environment, water cleanliness guidelines to support the implementation of the 2023 biological pollution guidelines, water emissions from waste gas cleaning systems, and improving the performance of sewage treatment plants.