Reducing Marine Plastic

Maritime plastic pollution, what is it?

Marine plastic pollution significantly threatens global biodiversity, ecosystems, and the economy. Plastics do not degrade and remain in the marine environment for hundreds of years, causing extensive consequences. 

What are the consequences?

• According to UNESCO, entanglement and ingestion of marine litter lead to the death of 1 million marine animals every year. 
• The build-up of plastics along the coast negatively impacts local industries such as fishing, tourism, and shipping. 
• Studies show that, on average, over half of this litter comes from single-use plastic items such as cigarette butts, water bottles, and food packaging.

What we can do

Reducing the consumption of single-use plastic items will mitigate and also remove the risk of litter being found in our oceans.

The Chamber and our members recognise the severity of this issue and are actively striving to be part of the solution. We promote firm international regulations, such as the London Convention and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which exist to prohibit marine pollution at sea. 

Our promise

Whilst governments can make long-lasting changes through legislation, we as an industry have the responsibility to act at an organisational level. 

This is why the Chamber launched the Single-Use Plastic Charter, one of the most ambitious commitments in shipping. This initiative aims to eradicate ship-based pollution by developing initiatives and activities that reduce and replace single-use plastic items on board ships. Leading the industry toward cleaner and more sustainable operations.

Working together 

Achieving this will require the collective shipping industry effort, from ship owners and operators to suppliers and buyers. That's why we are collaborating with organisations like the International Marine Purchasing Association (IMPA), striving to redefine industry standards and norms around purchasing and procurement practices. 

Together, we want to significantly reduce the amount of plastic entering the maritime supply.

We seek collaboration within the industry and beyond, so we can amplify our impact and drive changes to address the root cause of the issues.

Download the Single-Use Plastic Charter document to learn more:

Single Use Plastic Charter

To date, 33 company signatories across the industry have pledged to ban the use of non-essential single-use plastics and help protect the environment for future generations. 

We also have the support of two organisations from outside our membership, the International Marine Purchasing Association and the Green Seas Trust.