Starting today, Finland has enacted a groundbreaking law prohibiting cargo ships from discharging toilet wastewater, sulphuric wash water, and scrubber sludge into its coastal waters. This legislation, approved by parliament in December 2024, positions Finland as the first country globally to impose such comprehensive wastewater discharge restrictions on commercial vessels.
The ban targets harmful waste that contributes to eutrophication, a process exacerbated by nutrient-rich wastewater that leads to algae blooms, depleting oxygen and harming marine life. Environmental advocates have praised the legislation as a significant step in protecting the Baltic Sea, one of the world’s most polluted enclosed seas.
While the ban focuses on the most damaging waste streams, it provides a grace period for other types of wastewater, allowing greywater from sinks and showers to be discharged for nearly five more years. Additionally, all forms of ship wastewater discharge remain legal outside Finland’s territorial waters, limiting strict enforcement to its exclusive maritime zone.
Shipping companies in the Baltic region will need to enhance their waste management systems, either by increasing holding tank capacity or utilizing port facilities for safe waste disposal.
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