“The sea is the same as it has been since before men ever went on it in boats,” one of the famous quotes by one of the greatest writers Ernest Hemingway. However, we know it’s not true. Before men ventured into the sea, it was calm and peaceful, and as we became more intelligent, we naively started to dream about taming the sea. Our desire to explore motivated us to build ships that could travel through the great oceans. As the new ships were improved to make them better and faster, the old ship started to cause problems. After traveling hundreds of miles for decades, these ships were discarded. All the materials men used to build these ships were now poisoning the sea. If Hemingway knew about the ways of the modern world, he would never say, “Sea is the Same.” However, we, modern humans, are well aware that we must keep our seas safe. That’s why today, the ship recycling business is a booming industry all around the world.

This industry can help reduce water pollution and save thousands of marine lives. The green ship recycling process has been in the works for years. We must know about this booming and very essential industry.

Here are ten interesting facts about the ship recycling industry that we should know:-

1. In South Asia, the ship recycling industry is associated with a substantial downstream market for second-hand goods like decor, paints, hardware, machinery, electrical items, household appliances, etc.
2. Many small-sized industries refurbish the scrapes from ship recycling yards as raw materials for their products.
3. Many re-rolling and steel melting mills use iron scrapes from old ships to create ingots, bars, plates, pipes, etc.
4. Ship recycling yards help uplift the local economy. As it provides raw materials for small businesses at a lower rate, it also provides materials for second-hand shops and iron and non-iron scraps at a minimum price to the steel industry.
5. The ship recycling industry creates a huge job market for the semi-skilled and unskilled workforce.
6. According to the World Bank estimate, the ship recycling industry employs around 8000–22000 people through ship recycling yards. If small industries, steel mills, second-hand shops, and supply chains are considered, the number goes to 200,000.
7. In South Asia, around 60% of the ship’s weight is recovered in the form of rollable scrapes during the ship recycling process.
8. In Bangladesh, half of the raw materials in the iron industry come from rollable scrapes from the ship recycling yards.
9. The use of metal scrapes rather than metal ore significantly reduces the emission of greenhouse gasses.
10. According to the estimate published in Scientifically, using iron scrap in steel-making processes reduces air pollution by 86%, water pollution by 76%, and water usage by 40%.

These were some facts that can help in better understanding the importance of green ship recycling. If a ship is not recycled properly with the help of the right equipment and people, it can severely damage the marine life around it. In some cases, the unattended abandoned ship deteriorates to a point where it starts releasing toxic gasses, further hampering our environment. Proper recycling of ships is essential for both the economy and the environment.