How Do Cruise Ships Get Rid Of Trash?

Cruise ships have a complex waste management system, with cruise ships entertaining thousands of passengers and staffed by a substantial crew. However, the question remains: what happens with all the waste from cruise ships? Under section 312 of the Clean Water Act, the EPA and USCG regulate cruise ship discharges, including sewage, solid waste, ballast water, and other waste. Royal Caribbean Group is building on its industry-leading waste management practices by introducing the next generation of technology, Cruise Line Environmental Credentials.

Cruise ships have an impact on the environment, and cruise lines should consider taking all actions necessary to preserve it. Campaigners have highlighted unsustainable practices in the cruise ship industry, such as massive vessels dumping sewage and not legally allowed to dump trash in the oceans. Garbage must be separated as effectively as possible, and some cruise lines have begun recycling plastic, cardboard, and glass, which is sorted and stored until they reach the next port to offload. Most ships either unload their solid waste to be disposed of in traditional waste facilities on land or they incinerate it. Cruise ships use airtight holding tanks and specialized ventilation systems to hide and eliminate unpleasant odors from human waste.

Cruise ships do dispose of waste into the ocean, but each ship must follow specific regulatory requirements when disposing of waste. They go to great lengths to separate food scraps from other waste like straws or plastic wrappers, compressing the food waste into sludge. U.S. law requires cruise ships to treat waste within about 3.5 miles of shore, but residual sludgy material is repeatedly returned for reprocessing. Wastewater is treated by bacteria within tanks on board, forming sludge, which is then disposed of.