MARPOL Annex III Explained – What If Dangerous Cargo Falls Overboard?

This animated guide explains MARPOL Annex III (Annex 3): the international rules for harmful substances in packaged form carried by ships. What happens when a container of dangerous chemicals falls off a ship? Who decides how it must be packed, marked and stowed — and what stops it from being dumped into the sea? We follow one drum of marine pollutant from the warehouse to the sea and go through all 8 regulations: application, packing, marking and labelling (the marine pollutant mark), documentation, stowage, quantity limitations, exceptions and Port State Control. You'll also see how Annex III works together with the IMDG Code, why a mark must survive three months in the sea, and what IMO decided in 2026 about plastic pellets lost from containers. Chapters: 0:00 - A container lost at sea 0:36 - MARPOL and its six Annexes 1:53 - Annex III and the IMDG Code 2:56 - Regulation 1 – Application 6:24 - Regulation 2 – Packing 7:32 - Regulation 3 – Marking and labelling 11:01- Regulation 4 – Documentation 13:49 - Regulation 5 – Stowage 15:44 - Regulation 6 – Quantity limitations 16:52 - Regulation 7 – Exceptions: no jettisoning, losses overboard 18:52 - Regulation 8 – Port State Control 20:08 - Plastic pellets (IMO 2026), summary and what's next Based on MARPOL Annex III and the IMDG Code (Amendment 42-24). For education only. Always follow the current regulations, company procedures and flag State requirements. #MARPOL #Shipping #MarinePollution