New ship recycling alliance launched

BIMCO, the world’s largest international shipping association, has launched Ship Recycling Alliance to help accelerate safe and environmentally friendly shipping recycling. 

As disclosed, the founding members of the alliance, besides BIMCO, are the Bangladesh Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (BSBRA), the Turkish Ship Recycling Industry Association (GEMISANDER), and global cash buyer GMS.

The members also include ship recycling services company Guideship, Pakistan Ship Breakers and Recyclers Association (PSBRA), the Ship Recycling Industries Association of India (SRIA), the International Ship Recycling Association (ISRA), global cash buyer Wirana and Indian ship recycling group, Bansal Group.

The alliance will coordinate the voices of the ship recycling and shipping industry and help facilitate the global implementation of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships (HKC). 

An important task will also be to liaise with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Secretariat of the Basel Convention (BC), and the states that are party to these organizations to seek legal clarity on the interaction between both conventions.

This will include assessing, considering, and responding to any proposals for future amendments to the HKC, and providing support for the implementation and enforcement of the BC requirements for the management of waste originating from the ship’s recycling process.

“Part of the ship recycling industry is already trying to live up to the HKC standards ahead of its entry into force. To succeed in having our ships recycled responsibly and safely for people and the environment, we need all stakeholders to engage and step up pace. The Ship Recycling Alliance will connect stakeholders, advise regulators and create awareness among the public,” said BIMCO’s Secretary General & CEO David Loosley.

“It is high time for an initiative like the Ship Recycling Alliance to be launched and put to work. We need an alliance that can formulate and represent the views of the international ship recycling industry and connect that with all other stakeholders involved. Doing so, we strongly believe we can move forward and fuel progress,” stated Nikos Mikelis, non-executive Director of GMS, former IMO Head, Marine Pollution Prevention and Ship Recycling, Marine Environment Division and Chairperson of the alliance.

In June 2025, the Hong Kong Convention will officially enter into force. This milestone comes at a time when the global maritime industry is facing a significant challenge, with over 15,000 ships expected to be decommissioned and recycled over the next decade. The convention was adopted in 2009 with the aim of reducing risks to human health, safety, and the environment.

The implementation of the HKC is poised to drive new changes in the ship recycling sector, underscoring the urgent need for compliant and capable recycling yards in regions such as India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

As it stands, only a small percentage of shipowners voluntarily choose to recycle their vessels in accordance with the rigorous environmental and safety standards set by the HKC, according to BIMCO.

The majority still opt for traditional, less-regulated recycling practices, which often fail to meet the convention’s requirements. This discrepancy highlights a significant gap between the existing regulatory framework and industry practices. Therefore, coordinating the voices of the industries is crucial, BIMCO highlighted.

Environmental groups have earlier warned that HKC could fail to ensure sustainable ship recycling. The organizations raised their voices that its requirements fall short of ensuring ethical, safe and environmentally sound ship recycling and risk undermining existing laws and efforts to reform the sector’s dangerous and polluting practices.