Four shipping companies have established the Maritime Association for Clean Seas (MACS), an industry alliance focused on plastic waste reduction across the maritime value chain.

Founded by ocean impact organisation Seven Clean Seas (SCS), the alliance brings together Berge Bulk, a bulk carrier operator, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), a ship management firm, X-Press Feeders, a container feeder service, and Britoil Offshore Services, an offshore support vessel operator.

The maritime sector accounts for approximately 90 per cent of global trade and employs more than two million seafarers worldwide. Research indicates that 14 million tonnes of plastic enter marine ecosystems annually, and while shipping activities contribute a small fraction of this total, operational waste from vessels, cargo losses and inadequate portside waste handling remain areas where the industry can implement improvements.

Michael Blanding, Head of Sustainability and Communications at Berge Bulk, said: "The oceans are at the heart of our business, so we have always felt an obligation to protect them and a responsibility to keep them clean. Our long-standing work with SCS has already delivered tangible results, and through MACS, we're proud to help lead a united industry response that can achieve change at scale."

Measurement framework approach

MACS reports it will concentrate on three areas during 2026: sustainable procurement and material use, vessel waste measurement and reduction, and improved portside waste reception.

According to the organisation, the maritime sector currently lacks consistent baselines for plastic use, vessel waste and port-side waste flows. Rather than impose targets, MACS states it will work with members to establish voluntary baseline measurements across participating vessels during its first year of operation.

Tom Peacock-Nazil, Founder and Chairman of MACS, said: "Seven Clean Seas has always believed in collective action as the most powerful lever for change. With MACS, we're providing the maritime industry with the tools it needs to make measurable progress against plastic pollution. Not in isolation, but together."

The organisation states these priorities align with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Litter Action Plan, originally adopted in 2018 and currently under revision for 2025. The organisation states that quantitative reduction targets will be established once baseline data has been collected and analysed.

Seven Clean Seas, which was founded in 2019 in Singapore, operates coastal recovery projects in polluted regions. The organisation has set a goal to recover 100,000,000 kilograms of plastic and affect 200,000 lives by 2030.

Cross-sector participation

Francis Goh, Chief Operating Officer of X-Press Feeders, said: "As a global shipping company, we recognise the responsibility we have to safeguard the oceans that sustain global trade. Our collaboration with SCS goes back several years and joining MACS is a natural extension of our sustainability journey which goes beyond reducing emissions to also address the waste and plastic challenges facing our shared environment."

Elena Pantazidou, HR Director and Board Member of Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, commented: "At Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, we believe that safeguarding our oceans is not just a responsibility but a commitment to future generations. Joining forces as a founding member of the Maritime Association for Clean Seas reflects our dedication to driving sustainable practices across the maritime industry."

Florent Kirchhoff, Chief Executive Officer of Britoil Offshore Services, added: "Our work begins and ends with the sea, and with that comes a responsibility to protect it. Through this partnership with MACS, Britoil aims to advance responsible operations through collaboration, reflecting our shared care for the oceans and the ingenuity that drives us to find solutions for a better future."

The organisation says it is encouraging additional members from across the maritime sector to join.