134 There are major challenges associated with embedding the new mindset required to tackle the onward journey of items coming off ships. Tax issues and regulations affecting charitable donations in particular jurisdictions can prevent items being moved to communities that need them after their removal from ships. There are reports of attempts to donate used items such as mattresses having to be abandoned as the donated items were finding their way into online sales platforms. In addition, some governments’ requirement that items being removed must be broken or marked prevents further useful deployment of these items. Reducing the amount that goes to landfill is a challenge but also an opportunity for companies that are set up to transform old textiles and other items into new products. This turns waste into a positive item on the balance sheet while reducing the volume that goes to landfill. Several participants told us that the refurbishment phase of maritime interiors would benefit from a way to measure and report how environmentally efficient a refurbishment is. This would encourage shipowners to increase the percentage of reused materials onboard and prioritise sustainable solutions. It would also help shift the mindset regarding what is wasted during refits and refurbishments, leading to more decisions that enable reuse or recycling. Implementing sustainability as an integral part of decision making processes for all parties involved in refurbishment projects is a good starting point for greener refits. This goes hand-in-hand with increasing public awareness to make sustainability a customer expectation. Long-term planning, ideally starting up to two years before a planned refurbishment, is essential to ensuring that sustainable practices take place at all points of the process. While the solutions suggested do not come cheap, investment in improving the sustainability of drydocks to meet the needs of greener shipbuilding and refurbishment will pay significant dividends in future, enabling greater accountability around responsible supply chains and supporting the SDG targets of all stakeholders along the chain. In particular, working with organisations that can divert waste to upstream value chains can help boost participation in circular economies. Participants in this report are in broad agreement that there are currently not enough resources that can take materials for recycling or receive donations. Even where these do exist, the paperwork process is complex and since ships are flagged from different countries and refit in different areas of the world, there is not a straightforward approach to donating or upcycling products. ADDRESS ING INDUSTRY I SSUES – “We need a common standard that yards and operators can adhere to and a higher degree of transparency, with a better way of measuring and reporting the impacts of materials and conversion processes”
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