The ship recycling sector in Bangladesh is making strides towards a safer and more sustainable industry with tangible progress observed in the level of worker safety, environmental protection and progress towards the future development of a Hazardous Waste Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facility (TSDF).

IMO’s SENSREC Project conducted a technical site visit to ship recycling yards in Chittagong in February to assess current practices and identify challenges that need to be addressed in the management of hazardous waste in ship recycling facilities. Participants also visited the proposed location of a TSDF which, when actualised will pave the way for enhanced safety and regulatory compliance.

The field visit took place on the fringes of a national technical workshop on hazardous waste collection, treatment, storage and disposal organized by SENSREC. The outing allowed participants and technical experts to view examples of best practice in inspection, monitoring and compliance of hazardous waste management.

Activities included boarding the docked carcass of a vessel in the process of being stripped out and a trip to a steel recycling plant whose raw material is supplied directly from decommissioned ships as part of the downstream end of the value chain in ship recycling.

Lessons learned from the field visit will inform the refinement of training materials on TSDF. Concerted efforts are being made across the ship recycling industry to ensure compliance with international guidelines such as the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships which will enter into force on 26 June 2025.