On 27 and 28 May 2026, members of Marine Care Association gathered in Antwerp for the association’s Annual General Assembly. 

The event, which attracted a record number of attendees, provided an opportunity to review the association’s activities and achievements over the past year, approve key decisions for the future, and discuss the latest developments affecting the maritime environment sector. It also allowed the association to warmly welcome new members and gave participants the chance to reconnect, share perspectives on current challenges and opportunities, and further strengthen the valuable network at the heart of MCA. 

The first day combined the official General Assembly with a conference dedicated to one of the most significant issues currently shaping the maritime sector: Fuels of the Future. 

We warmly thank our distinguished speakers for sharing their expertise and perspectives, and our moderator Roger Creswell, whose valuable insights helped frame the discussions and set the stage for a series of engaging presentations: 

• Karl Sandra, Independent Consultant, provided a broad perspective on the evolution of energy use and explored the main pathways towards renewable marine fuels, including biofuels and hydrogen-based alternatives. 

• Pierre Durot, Director at Boeckmans Shipping, shared his perspective on designing vessels that are ready for the future energy transition. 

• Arne Strybos, Programme Manager Fuel Transition at Port of Antwerp-Bruges, explained how the port is preparing for a multi-fuel future through the development of infrastructure, bunkering frameworks and alternative fuel supply chains. 

Their complementary perspectives generated lively discussions and provided participants with a comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with the decarbonisation of the maritime sector. 

Following the conference, participants were invited to a boat tour of the Port of Antwerp, offering a unique perspective on one of Europe’s leading maritime hubs. The day concluded with a networking dinner by the river, offering participants the chance to build new connections and deepen existing relationships in a more informal setting. 

On the second day, members could visit the Martens Renewables site, bringing this year’s General Assembly programme to a close. 

The visit provided valuable insights into a different operational approach and created an ideal setting for members to exchange experiences, share best practices and compare approaches to common industry challenges. It also offered a further opportunity to strengthen the professional relationships developed throughout the General Assembly. 

Marine Care Association would like to extend its sincere thanks to Martens Renewables, and in particular to Jacob Bac, Giorgio Wagenaar and Serge Hendrickx, for their hospitality and for welcoming our members to their facilities. 

We would also like to thank MTD, MAC² and Nature Group for their support in organising this year’s General Assembly. 

Finally, we would like to thank all our members for their attendance, active participation, continued support and commitment to helping our association grow. 

We look forward to continuing these exchanges throughout the year and to welcoming our members once again at the next General Assembly, which will take place on 21 and 22 October in Barcelona. 

Last week, Sophie Delair, Secretary General of Marine Care Association (MCA), travelled to Lagos, Nigeria, to meet with Umar Abubakar, CEO of African Circle Pollution Management Limited, and his team. This visit marked an important milestone as it was the first official visit since African Circle became a member of the Association.

During her stay, Sophie Delair had the opportunity to visit African Circle’s reception and waste management facilities, gaining valuable first-hand insight into their daily operations and the essential role they play in supporting sustainable maritime activities in the region. The visit highlighted both the challenges and opportunities linked to ship-generated waste management and once again demonstrated the crucial work carried out by Port Reception Facilities (PRFs) around the clock to protect the marine environment.

The trip also provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships within the local maritime ecosystem. Meetings were held with the Nigerian Ports Authority and XPO Marine Services Limited to introduce Marine Care Association AISBL, exchange perspectives on current industry developments, and discuss the importance of cooperation in advancing sustainable waste management solutions.

These productive discussions reinforced the importance of collaboration between ports, waste management operators, and industry stakeholders to address environmental challenges and support continuous improvement across the maritime sector.

Marine Care Association would like to warmly thank the entire African Circle team for the excellent organization of the visit and for the insightful exchanges throughout the week.

This year also marks a very special milestone: the 20th anniversary of African Circle’s membership within the Association. As one of the pioneering members of MCA, African Circle has played an important role in supporting the Association’s mission over the years. We sincerely thank them for their continued trust, commitment, and long-standing partnership.

We look forward to continuing this collaboration and strengthening our shared efforts towards a cleaner and more sustainable maritime industry.

Last week, Marine Care Association had the pleasure of participating in Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami, one of the leading international events bringing together key stakeholders from across the cruise industry.

Represented by our Secretary General, Sophie Delair, MCA was proud to contribute to the discussions on sustainability and port operations, and to engage with industry leaders from around the world.

Highlighting the role of Port Reception Facilities

During the event, Sophie Delair delivered a presentation focused on the critical role of Port Reception Facilities (PRFs) in supporting a cleaner and more sustainable maritime sector.

As highlighted during the session, PRFs are much more than waste collection points. They act as a key bridge between the Blue Economy and the Circular Economy, enabling the transformation of ship-generated waste into valuable resources.

The presentation also emphasized several key challenges and priorities for the sector, including:

• The need for better harmonisation between maritime and land-based legislation
• The importance of improving waste characterisation
• The development of global standards to ensure a level playing field across regions

These discussions reflect MCA’s ongoing commitment to promoting efficient, compliant, and environmentally responsible waste management solutions in ports worldwide.

A valuable opportunity for exchange and collaboration

Seatrade Cruise Global once again proved to be an inspiring platform for dialogue, innovation, and collaboration. Throughout the event, we had the opportunity to engage in insightful conversations, exchange perspectives, and connect with a wide range of stakeholders from the cruise sector.

These interactions are essential to fostering cooperation and advancing shared solutions to today’s environmental and operational challenges.

Looking ahead

We would like to warmly thank the organizers for delivering such a dynamic and impactful event, as well as all the professionals we had the pleasure of meeting.

We are excited about the connections made and the opportunities ahead, and we look forward to continuing these discussions in the near future.

We are thrilled to announce that Navozyme Maritime Technologies S.L. joins Marine Care Association as a new associate member.

“Our association has decided already a few years ago to open to upstream and downstream partners because we strongly believe in the importance of linking the different players of the industry. Working at exploring technologies and proposing solutions to propose the best services to ports is part of our commitment to the marine environment and to the circular economy. We have always been pleading for collaboration supporting a “zero-discharge-principle” at sea, adequate port reception facilities worldwide and harmonised rules to make it all happen. We are happy to see solutions providers joining and exploring on how they can contribute” says, Marga Hauttekeete, President of Marine Care Association.

“Joining Marine Care Association reflects our commitment to actively support the port reception facilities sector in its digital transformation and in raising security and compliance standards We are committed to supporting the sector’s decarbonization and digitisation journey by embedding digital intelligence into everyday operations and by working closer to leading PRFs worldwide gives us first-hand insight into their operational realities, key challenges and regulatory pressures. This proximity allows us to contribute where it truly matters — to deliver practical, scalable solutions that enhance transparency, traceability and resilience across MARPOL services,” says Dr. Enrique Martin, Head of Business Unit, Navozyme. Navozyme™ is an award-winning maritime technology scaleup commended by the IMO for applying Blockchain and AI to reduce complexity in critical maritime processes. We are proud to join the Marine Care Association as Associate Members. “I am looking forward to working with Abhishek Nair and the team to make the work of port reception facilities better understood and recognised. Our members do a tremendous job 24/7 not only in collecting waste, but also in treating it. Digitalisation is key factor of success. By sharing knowledge and joining forces we can create awareness about existing solutions to our members” adds MCA’s Secretary General Sophie Delair.

We are thrilled to announce that Top Glory Marine joins Marine Care Association as a new associate member.

Our association has decided already a few years ago to open to upstream and downstream partners because we strongly believe in the importance of linking the different players of the industry, whether they are agents, shipowners or suppliers.  Understanding the challenges of each other and working at finding solutions to solve bottlenecks is part of our commitment to the marine environment and to the circular economy. We have always been pleading for a “zero-discharge-principle” at sea and to achieve that we also need adequate port reception facilities worldwide. The role of agents is important to take the right criteria in consideration when choosing environmental partners for their clients” says, Marga Hauttekeete, President of Marine Care Association.

Cathrin Prikker, Managing Director, Top Glory Marine says:

“We are proud to join the Marine Care Association as an Associate Member. As an agent and global provider of maritime waste management solutions, we ensure the safe, compliant, and environmentally responsible disposal of MARPOL-related waste through our certified network of disposal companies.

Our motivation to join the MCA is rooted in our commitment to strengthening collaboration across the industry. We believe that shared standards, transparent processes, and open dialogue are essential to advancing sustainable practices within port reception facilities worldwide.

Becoming part of this community allows us not only to contribute our expertise, but also to learn from other members, support innovation, and help shape a future where maritime operations and environmental protection go hand in hand. We look forward to actively engaging with the network and driving meaningful progress together”.

“I am looking forward to working with Cathrin and the team to make the work of port reception facilities better understood and recognised. Our members do a tremendous job not only in collecting waste, but also in treating it. It contributes to build a stronger circular economy, which everyday becomes a new frame of mind to face scarcity and energy independency. Together we can work at enhancing and harmonising international standards” adds MCA’s Secretary General Sophie Delair.

A few months ago, EUROSHORE became MARINE CARE ASSOCIATION. This is more than just a name change — it marks the beginning of a new chapter for the association: internationalisation. While ship waste collection and treatment remain local activities, they must be approached with a global perspective. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel each time; instead, we share knowledge, best practices and promote this vital work for both the maritime industry and the environment.

On 15th October, Marine Care Association held its General Assembly in Ensenada (MEXICO). Members got the opportunity to visit the facility of our member Maritime Procurement Services. Many thanks to Alejandro Trillo Menchelli for welcoming us, to Juan Carlos Trillo for organising our venue and to all team for its involvement.

Finally, we would like to express our appreciation to Eric Wolff, NCL Environment Manager, for joining our meeting and sharing insights on how Norwegian Cruise Line manages the packaging of its solid waste. This dialogue with the shipping industry is vital to understand challenges of each other. This give a unique opportunity to develop solutions and work better.

To be continued…

Euroshore International held its General Assembly on 14^th May in Tangier, Morocco. Having meetings out of the European continent is important and was a strong message to all players of the sector of ship waste management. This sector is crucial for both the protection of the marine environment and a sustainable management of waste from ships, and it deserves being addressed at the global level.

“We’ve had African members for many years, and three years ago, we welcomed our first member from Mexico. I hope these milestones were only the beginning. Today, we are thrilled to welcome our first U.S. members, Wasteline Solutions from Miami, Florida—quickly followed by Nature Environment from Houston, Texas.

It’s essential for our sector to come together, share similar challenges, learn from one another, and broaden our perspectives. I have no doubt that this growing international representation will be enriching for everyone involved and will strengthen our collective voice on the global stage.

I also want to thank our Spanish member, Sertego, and their colleagues of Sergeto TGMD, for their support in organising this General Assembly. Visiting the port of Tangier Med and its reception facility was very instructive” says Marga Hauttekeete, President.

“Attending Seatrade in early April in Miami was an incredible experience and a great opportunity to connect with MARPOL service companies from across the Americas—from Canada to Colombia. I sincerely hope that all of them will consider joining Euroshore International, the only global association of its kind. I warmly welcome Tina Golstein from Wasteline Solutions and Sudhakar Yenumala from Nature Environment and look forward to working with them and their team” says Sophie Delair, Secretary General.

We are thrilled to announce that the board of directors approved Fullsulate’s application as associate member. Associate members are private companies, public authorities, individual experts or non-governmental organizations, which have a direct or indirect link, upstream or downstream, with the activity of the full members.

“Having solution providers join us is crucial for our members, who are constantly seeking innovative ways to treat waste. I am happy that Euroshore International help build bridges between all parties of the chain. Collaboration and knowledge exchange help us be sustainable” says Marga Hauttekeete, EUROSHORE President.

Fullsulate Ltd. is a global producer and distributor of FP OILSTOP, a 100% natural solution designed for the effective remediation of oil, oil derivatives, grease and fat. It is engineered to remove hydrocarbons from water, sand and hard surfaces. www.fullsulate.com

CIAN is joining Euroshore International as full member. This follows a decision of the board of Directors and an official announcement during the General Assembly of EUROSHORE INTERNATIONAL who took place today in Riga, Latvia.

“We are very pleased to welcome CIAN as a new member from Croatia. CIAN is our second member from that country. They collect all MARPOL waste in five major ports of the country, protecting a long coastline of almost 1800km with many islands. This makes them crucial for the protection of the Adriatic Sea. Euroshore promotes the best standards for port reception facilities and pay attention to involve only those having these best standards. CIAN is part of them, and I am confident that we can learn from each other for the benefit of our activity” says EUROSHORE President, Marga Hauttekeete.

“We are delighted to join the group. Euroshore is the only existing platform where port reception facilities can meet and learn from each other. It is very important for us to exchange on best practices and look for innovation to fulfil our task” says Matko Bašić, Sea Protection Director “I am looking forward to working with Matko and the team to make port reception activities better understood and recognised. Our members do a tremendous job not only in collecting waste, but also in treating it. It contributes to build a stronger circular economy, which everyday becomes a new frame of mind to face scarcity and energy independency” adds EUROSHORE’s Secretary General Sophie Delair.

EUROSHORE INTERNATIONAL gathers port reception facilities dealing with the collection and treatment of ship generated waste. It has now 38 members from 20 countries with a presence in Europe, Africa, Middle East and North America. For any further information, do not hesitate to contact Sophie Delair, Secretary General, sophie.delair@euroshore.com or to look at our website www.euroshore.com

Dear Madam, Dear Sir,

Dear Colleagues,

Port reception facilities contribute both to the preservation of the oceans and to the decarbonisation of the maritime industry. This makes them essential partners for the maritime sector.

This year, Euroshore International celebrates its 25th anniversary and takes the opportunity to welcome you and engage a dialogue during a one-day event to discuss how port reception facilities help more and more the shipping industry to reduce its environmental impact.

The IMO MARPOL Convention, celebrating this year its 50th anniversary, was created in reaction of major pollutions created by oil spill. Over the years IMO developed bans to discharge at sea to protect the environment and port reception facilities used to collect ships generated waste. Today, we face the emergency of preserving marine biodiversity and ecosystems and Euroshore International pleads for the application of a zero-discharge principle. To answer that principle, we need adequate port reception facilities to collect ship generated waste.

Over the years, many port reception facilities have moved from pure collectors to recyclers or waste recovering operators. By this mean they contribute to the decarbonisation of the shipping industry and became solution providers to shipowners and operators.

The event will be the opportunity to understand better the added value of port reception facilities for the maritime industry, what are the challenges they face and the solutions they propose to ports and shipowners to reduce their carbon impact.

We are looking forward to welcoming you very soon. Do not forget to register here.