Listen: The nuances and regulatory framework of ship recycling

In the third and final episode of Ganado Meets Maritime, partner Jotham Scerri-Diacono of Ganado Advocates teams up with ALFRED SHARPLES, a recycling expert and a senior at the Environment and Resources Authority, as they seek to better understand the nuances of ship recycling and vast regulatory framework that underpins the process, at international and EU levels.

Importance and relevance of recycling

Often seen as a controversial topic, recycling is essential to a contemporary society wishing to protect the environment. This principle, naturally, includes ships and rigs of all sorts that are at the end of their life, deemed non-seaworthy and to be treated and recycled at specialised facilities.

“The benefits of ship recycling are felt globally,” Alfred Sharples says. “As the term implies, value is derived from materials.”

As such, each aspect of a ship’s construction must be dealt with individually and in an environmentally sound manner for effective recycling. These various processes usually involve removing hazardous materials, refurbishing and reusing certain parts of monetary value or even melting down scrap metal.

What governs ship recycling?

Several conventions, at...