NGO Shipbreaking Platform urges EC to recognize circular value of ship recycling

Ship recycling can play an important role in decarbonizing the European steel and construction sectors, according to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s new position paper.

The coalition participated in the European Commission’s consultation on the upcoming Circular Economy Act.

As explained, with a significant number of ships expected to reach the end of their service life in the coming years, ship recycling presents a strategic opportunity to achieve not only enhanced circularity, but also the EU’s strategic autonomy, decarbonization and competitiveness objectives, while putting an end to the export of harmful waste to third countries.

The world’s fleet is not only growing, but also aging, which will create more opportunities for steel recycling as it is ships’ default building material. Studies predict an even five-fold increase of ships sent for dismantling in the next decade, which could yield more than 100 million tonnes of high-quality steel. Since steel recycling saves 1.5 tonnes of CO₂ compared to raw steel, this