The Garbage Record Book is the mandatory logbook required under MARPOL Annex V, recording every instance a vessel discharges or disposes of garbage — whether at sea (for permitted categories) or ashore at a port reception facility.
What Must Be Recorded
- Type of garbage disposed of (categorized per Annex V — plastics, food waste, cargo residues, etc.)
- Estimated quantity
- Date and position of the discharge (for at-sea disposal) or the port (for shore disposal)
- Method of disposal
- Signature of the officer in charge of the operation, and the Master’s countersignature
Why This Matters Beyond Paperwork
Annex V places strict, specific limits on what garbage can legally be discharged at sea, in what quantities, at what distance from land, and — critically — plastics of any kind are prohibited from discharge at sea entirely, with no exceptions. The Garbage Record Book is the documented evidence that a vessel’s actual garbage handling matches these legal limits.
Legal Weight of Entries
Like the Oil Record Book, the Garbage Record Book is a legal document, not an internal administrative record — falsifying entries, or discharging garbage inconsistent with what’s logged, is a genuine offense with real consequences, including for the individual officer who signed the entry, not just the company.
Port State Control Inspection
The Garbage Record Book is a standard item checked during Port State Control inspections — inspectors compare logged entries against the vessel’s actual garbage management practices and can detain a vessel for serious non-compliance or evidence of falsified records.
Garbage Management Plan: The Related Document
The Garbage Record Book (what actually happened) works alongside the ship’s Garbage Management Plan (the vessel’s written procedures for handling, storing, and disposing of garbage) — the plan sets out how garbage should be managed; the record book documents that it actually was.
Exam Relevance
Garbage Record Book requirements, MARPOL Annex V discharge limits (especially the absolute plastics ban), and the legal significance of entries are core Ship Knowledge and environmental compliance topics in deck and engineering officer competency exams.