Extensive research has shown that some ship operators place much more importance on the time it takes to use a facility, rather than its immediate cost. Making facilities free of direct charges may appeal to the operators of small vessels more than to the masters and crew of large commercial ships. Other operators have devised their own arrangement for disposing of waste through their own contractors. Among other reasons, this ensures that they are in control of all aspects of waste disposal, including final destination. However, some types of wastes are more appropriate than others for this regime.
Many ports already provide garbage facilities without additional charges.
However, facilities for cargo wastes, such as oily water or noxious liquid chemicals, are generally more suited to direct charging because they tend to be more specialised and expensive than facilities for wastes such as garbage. The Government is strongly of the view that the planning process must address all types of ships' wastes. Therefore, waste management planning adopts a flexible approach to the charges which are made for facilities. As a part of the waste management process, individual ports will be required to consider how to charge for their facilities. In consultation with users, they will analyse whether facilities should be subject to direct charges or whether their costs should be recovered through some other means.