MEPC.1-Circ.909？-？Recommendations？For？The？Carriage？Of？Plastic？PelletsBy？Sea？In？Freight？Containers？

INTERNATIONALEMARITIMEORGANIZATION4 ALBERT EMBANKMENTLONDON SE1 7SRTelephone:+44(0)2077357611FaX:+44(0)2075873210MEPC.1/Circ.90919 April 2024RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CARRIAGE OF PLASTIC PELLETS'BY SEA IN FREIGHT CONTAINERS1 The Marine Environment Protection Committee,at its eighty-firstsession(18 to 22 March 2024),approved the following recommendations for the carriage ofplastic pellets by sea in freight containers,as the first step in a two-stage approach aimed atreducing the environmental risks associated with the carriage of plastic pellets in packaged fommby sea,pending the Committee's consideration of future mandatory measures for the carriage ofplastic pellets in freight containers:Plastic pellets should be packed in good quality packaging which should bestrong enough to withstand the shocks and loadings normally encounteredduring transport.Packaging should be constructed and closed so as toprevent any loss of contents which may be caused under nomal conditionsof transport,by vibration or acceleration forces..2Transport information should clearly identify,as an addition in the cargoinformation required by SOLAS regulation VI/2,those freight containerscontaining plastic pellets.In addition,the shipper should supplement thecargo infomation with a special stowage request requiring stowage asoutlined in paragraph 1.3 below..3Freight containers containing plastic pellets should be properly stowed andsecured so as to minimize the hazards to the marine environment withoutimpairing the safety of the ship and persons on board.Specifically,freightcontainers containing plastic pellets should be stowed:.1under deck wherever reasonably practicable;or2inboard in sheltered areas of exposed decks.Member States are invited to use these recommendations and bring them to theattention of shippers,manufacturers,terminal operators,shipowners,ship operators,charterers,shipmasters and all other parties concerned,requesting that additional care andappropriate action be taken during maritime transport of plastic pellets in packaged form.Plastic pellets means a mass of pre-formed moulding material,having relatively uniform dimensions,usedas feedstock in plastic product manufacturing operations.Plastic pellets are transported in various forms,including flakes,granules and powders,and can be referred to as resin or nurdles.I:CIRCMEPC1MEPC.1-CIRC.909.docxNAVIGATINGTHE FUTURE:SAFETY FIRST!