Ship breaking



Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair become uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially steel, to be recycled. Equipment on board the vessel can also be reused.

As an alternative to ship breaking, ships are also sunk to make artificial reefs after being cleaned up. Other possibilities are floating (or land-based) storage.

History and transition
Until the late 20th century, ship breaking took place in port cities of industrialized countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Today, ships are broken down mostly in developing countries, due to lower labor costs and less stringent environmental regulations on the disposal of toxic substances such as lead paint and asbestos. Those "breakers" that still remain in the United States work primarily on government surplus vessels. Some breakers operate in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and specialize in  tankers. China used to be an important player in the 1990s, but is now trying to reposition itself in more environmentally friendly industries.

Health and environmental risks
In addition to steel and other useful materials, ships (particularly older vessels) can contain many substances that are banned or considered dangerous in developed countries. Asbestos and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are typical examples. Asbestos was used heavily in ship construction until it was finally banned in most of the developed world in the mid-1980s. Currently, the costs associated with removing asbestos, along with the potentially expensive insurance and health risks, have meant that ship breaking in most developed countries is no longer economically viable. Removing the metal for scrap can potentially cost more than the value of the scrap metal itself. In the developing world, however, shipyards can operate without the risk of personal injury lawsuits or workers' health claims, meaning many of these shipyards may operate with high health risks. Protective equipment is sometimes absent or inadequate. Dangerous vapors and fumes from burning materials can be inhaled, and dusty asbestos-laden areas are commonplace.

In recent years, ship breaking has become an issue of environmental concern beyond the health of the yard workers. Many ship breaking yards operate in developing nations with lax or no environmental law, enabling large quantities of highly toxic materials to escape into the general environment and causing serious health problems among ship breakers, the local population, and wildlife. Environmental campaign groups such as Greenpeace have made the issue a high priority for their activities.

List of ship breaking yards
The following are some of world's largest ship breaking yards:

Bangladesh

 * Chittagong Ship Breaking yard

China

 * Changjiang Ship Breaking yard, located in Jiangyin, China

India
DFIII] ]

Pakistan

 * Gadani Ship Breaking yard

Turkey

 * Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard

United States

 * International Shipbreaking Ltd. Brownsville, TX

Alternative definition
A ship breaker may sometimes be defined as a crewman without whom a ship cannot put to sea. For example, the Chief Engineer, Medical Officer, and Ship's Coxswain are considered ship breakers, particularly on a Navy ship.