Keeping the Navy's plastic waste out of the world's oceans-a report on the Navy's prime program

Pollution of the seas of the world is a serious environmental concern. Although pollution originates from land-based as well as atmospheric sources, it is the sea-borne sources that have been targeted as the main culprits for this particular pollution problem. Recently, the United States Congress extended the Navy's deadline until 31 December 1998 for bringing itself into compliance with Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. Annex V contains a number of pollution control measures with the most restrictive being an absolute ban on the dumping of any plastic wastes into the world's oceans. In the remaining time available, the Navy, which disposes of its solid waste products largely by dumping them into the oceans, must devise ways of coping with this particular aspect of its solid waste stream aboard ships.