BIMCO has initiated a crew survey to address concerns regarding the provision of drinking water on ships. Many companies are seeking to move from single-use plastic bottles to advanced drinking water systems to reduce their plastic footprint. The survey aims to gather insights from crew members emphasising their crucial role in shaping effective waste management solutions and fostering a healthier maritime environment.
BIMCO launches crew survey seeking to address concerns with provision of drinking water through onboard systems.
In a bid to tackle the growing environmental crisis caused by single-use plastics and recognising the threat to marine life and ecosystems caused by their poor management, BIMCO has called on shipowners to move away from providing drinking water onboard in plastics bottles towards alternatives. This includes the provision of drinking water using advanced onboard drinking water systems. The BIMCO Best Practice Guide entitled "The art and science of removing single-use plastic bottles from ships" was published in 2024 and provides practical steps for shipowners. It emphasizes the importance of providing the safest and highest quality drinking water to ensure seafarer wellbeing. The guide also offers strategic direction, cost-benefit analysis, and tactics for changing behaviours to promote sustainable practices.
Nonethless, the transition to providing water in this way is not without challenges- primarily related to the need to demonstrate its quality and effectively communicate to the crew that the water is safe and that its provision is reliable and accessible. Only by understanding the practices and challenges faced by crews, can we develop effective strategies to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainable alternatives.
As such we are inviting shipowners and managers to encourage their crew to complete a short survey to allow crew members to have their say. Their firsthand experiences and insights are invaluable in identifying the most effective solutions and practices. By having their say, crew members can contribute to shaping policies and strategies that directly impact their living conditions, daily operations and the environment. Their participation ensures that the solutions developed are practical, feasible, and tailored to the realities of life at sea.
Developed in collaboration with BIMCO member, MF Group, and focusing on crew wellbeing, this survey aims to address the challenges faced by seafarers in managing plastic waste and to promote a healthier and more sustainable working environment.
The survey allows two sets of responses:
- Responses from crew sailing on ships that have an advanced onboard drinking water system installed – where the company are seeking to determine crew satisfaction and/or concerns
- Responses from crew employed by companies seeking to address single-use plastics and considering the installation of onboard systems to gauge perceptions and to determine how to overcome any barriers.
We encourage all companies to support this important initiative by ensuring their crews complete the survey and to allow us at BIMCO to introduce additional guidance to companies.
Alternatively, if you wish to partner with us on the delivery of a more focussed survey for your crew we are happy to engage.
Complete the survey: https://form.jotform.com/250721317708353
We also note that sometimes online surveys can be difficult for crew to complete due to bandwidth or access to external websites. As such a fillable PDF is available here.
Any questions and completed PDF surveys should be sent to marinesurveys@bimco.org.
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