Operational guide · Registers & logbooks

Garbage Record Book

Garbage management and records, accidental losses and discharge conditions; Red Sea requirements active since 2025.

MARPOL Annex VgarbagewasteSpecial AreaRed Sea

Operational Explanation

The Garbage Record Book (GRB) records permitted discharges at sea, delivery to reception facilities or other ships, completed incineration and exceptional discharges or losses. Deciding to retain garbage is not a completed delivery.

Regulatory update: since 1 May 2024 the applicability threshold has been lowered from 400 GT to 100 GT; since 1 January 2025 the Annex V discharge requirements for the Red Sea have taken effect (Res. MEPC.382(80)). Note the asymmetry: under Annex I the Special Area covers the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden (Res. MEPC.381(80)), under Annex V the Red Sea alone.

Regulatory Reference

References: Annex V, regulations 3–7 and 10, Appendix II: MEPC.201(62); record-book threshold MEPC.360(79); two-part format MEPC.277(70); activation of Red Sea requirements MEPC.382(80).

Scope of Application

Regulation 10.3 requires a GRB on every ship of 100 GT and above; also on ships certified to carry at least 15 persons engaged in voyages to ports or offshore terminals of another Party, and on fixed or floating platforms. Do not extend the voyage qualification to the tonnage branch: a domestic-only 150 GT ship is not automatically excluded.

Regulation 10.2 requires a Garbage Management Plan for ships of at least 100 GT, ships certified for at least 15 persons and platforms, without that voyage qualification. The plan threshold dates from 2013; the GRB threshold fell to 100 GT on 1 May 2024.

Regulation 10.4 waivers require an Administration decision in the specified cases: domestic service does not create an automatic waiver. For ships below 100 GT, exceptional events under regulation 10.3.6 belong in the official logbook as applicable.

Procedure / How to Complete It

Identify category and area before operating. Part I: categories A–I; Part II: J for non-HME and K for HME solid bulk cargo residues; HME means harmful to the marine environment. Category K also records delivery ashore and does not authorise discharge at sea. Plastic discharge is not an operational option; regulation 7 exceptions require their stated conditions.
In a special area apply regulation 6: ground food waste capable of passing through a screen with openings no greater than 25 mm, uncontaminated by other garbage, ship en route, as far as practicable and at least 12 nautical miles from the nearest land or ice shelf. In Antarctica, introduced poultry and its parts must be sterilized before discharge. Also apply the Polar Code. Cargo residues in hold washwater require all conditions of 6.1.2: residues not recoverable using commonly available unloading methods, non-HME residues and cleaning agents/additives, departure and next destination ports within the same special area without leaving it during the voyage, no adequate reception facilities at either port, and discharge as far as practicable, at least 12 nautical miles from the nearest land or ice shelf.
On platforms and ships alongside or within 500 m apply regulation 5: only the limited ground-food exception, with the platform more than 12 miles from land and all other applicable conditions. Do not use the ordinary 3-mile rule.
Record without delay: sea — date, time, position, category and m³; for cargo residues also record discharge start and stop positions (10.3.2); facility/other ship — date, time, port/facility or receiving ship, category and m³; completed incineration — start/end dates, times and positions, categories and m³ incinerated.
For exceptional discharges or losses record date/time, position or port, depth if known, categories/quantities, circumstances and precautions. Fishing-gear loss is not automatically exempt. If it poses a significant threat, also notify the flag State and the coastal State in whose waters it occurs (10.6).
The officer in charge signs each operation; the master signs each completed page. Use English, French or Spanish, including alongside the flag State’s official language. Keep the book and receipts for two years after the last entry. An electronic record book must be approved: a spreadsheet alone is insufficient.

Practical Example

Training scenario: in the Red Sea assume a chart-verified distance of 6.2 miles from land. Ground food waste is retained because the 12-mile minimum is not met. This is an operational decision, not a GRB discharge entry.

Separate example of an actual delivery: 19 JUL 2026, 17:00 UTC, Port Sudan, reception facility identified on the receipt, category B, 0.20 m³; signature of the officer in charge. Facility name, quantity and receipt must match the actual operation.

What Typically Goes Wrong

A missing plan or incomplete records may lead to findings. Severity, measures and penalties depend on the facts and applicable regime; a discrepancy alone does not establish automatic detention.

Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Avoid confusing the plan with the record book, extending the international-voyage qualification to all ships, recording retained garbage as delivered, omitting incineration or losses, or invoking an exception without documenting its conditions and precautions.

What the PSCO Checks

A PSCO may compare applicability, the plan, segregation and storage capacity, records, receipts and crew familiarity. This summary does not establish a universal inspection frequency.

Operational Tips

Separate plan, record book and placards: they have their own thresholds.
1 January 2025 activated the Red Sea requirements; it was not its first designation.
Prepare receipts and complete fields without pre-recording events that have not occurred.

Preparation checklist

Educational checklist. This summary supports learning and preparation only. It does not replace the vessel’s approved procedures, manuals, statutory documents, company SMS, or applicable official requirements. Completing it demonstrates neither compliance nor readiness for an inspection: it shows that a list has been read, not that the ship is in order. Always verify the current documents carried on board.

Applicability and formal waivers checked; plan and responsible person in place
Area, category, distances and discharge conditions checked
Sea discharge, delivery, incineration and losses entered in their respective fields
Signatures, language, receipts and two-year retention checked
Gear losses also assessed for regulation 10.6 reporting

FAQ

Is a domestic-only 150 GT ship automatically excluded from the GRB?

No. The branch for ships of at least 100 GT does not depend on that voyage qualification. Any waiver requires the Administration decision provided for in 10.4.

What changed in the Red Sea in 2025?

The Annex V special discharge requirements became effective. This does not mean the area was first designated in 2025.