Under the revised Annex V, discharge of all garbage is now prohibited, except as specifically permitted in regulations 3, 4, 5 and 6.
The revised Annex V reverses the historical presumption that garbage may be discharged into the sea based on the nature of the garbage and defined distances from shore. Regulation 7 provides limited exceptions to these regulations in emergency and non-routine situations. Generally, discharge is restricted to food wastes, identified cargo residues, animal carcasses, and identified cleaning agents and additives and cargo residues entrained in washwater which are not harmful to the marine environment. It is recommended that ships use port reception facilities as the primary means of discharge for all garbage.
