Do ships throw trash and waste in the ocean?

My friend explained what was in the bags and that the ocean would take care of it, largely because its organic material and sea life will consume it. No “red tide” will surface ashore from trash discard from a USN vessel. They do not throw plastics or toxic waste overboard. read more

All commercial ships must abide by MARPOL ANNEX V regulation for disposal of waste. The revised Annex V now generally prohibits the discharge of all garbage into the sea, except as provided otherwise in regulations 4, 5, and 6 of the Annex, which are related to food waste, cargo residues, cleaning agents and additives and animal carcasses. read more

Some 20 million people board cruise ships every year. And while they might return to land with fond memories of umbrella drinks and shuffleboard, they leave a lot at sea. About a billion gallons (3.8 billion liters) of sewage (pdf), in fact. read more

Just to be clear, there is a difference between "trash" and "garbage". Garbage is usually anything that can rot rather quickly, namely, food waste. read more