The Royal Institution of Naval Architects is keen to make ship recycling greener by introducing more responsible guidelines
The environmental and safety issues of the recycling of ships have long been put on the back burner. Unfortunately, that back burner has been creating some rather noxious gases recently, with the issue coming back to the top of the list for a number of regions that are worst hit by what the ILO (International Labour Organisation) has called ‘one of the most dangerous practices in the world’.
Until recently, ships have been sneakily and stealthily broken up on the beaches of remote parts of Asia when they’re no longer commercially required, but this, unsurprisingly, has considerable environmental and social repercussions, not least for the residents of the regions where this practice is rife.
The exceptional lack of environmentally-sound recycling facilities available for out-of-service ships has lead the UK’s Royal Institution of Naval Architects to create and promote guidelines that aim to reduce the environmental concerns of this practice.
RINA suggests that strict rules should be enforced for the recycling and/or safe disposal of hazardous chemicals and the ship itself, in addition to introducing guidance on the recycling facilities available on ships prior to their disposal. The organisation is keen to ensure these rules are ratified as soon as possible to protect the human rights of the residents of the areas and to promote the environmental responsibility of the shipping industry, which, let’s face it, doesn’t have the greenest of reputations.