🔍 Key Concepts

• 33 CFR 151 – Garbage Pollution from Ships and the special protection given to plastic • Distance limits from the nearest land for different types of garbage (floating vs. non‑floating) • Special rules inside U.S. navigable waters and within 3 NM of land

💭 Think About

• First, decide which material is treated as the most strictly controlled: plastic, non‑plastic that floats, or non‑floating garbage • Compare how the rule changes once you are inside 3 nautical miles of land versus farther offshore • Ask yourself: is there any situation in which plastic or garbage mixed with plastic can be legally discharged at sea under 33 CFR 151?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify what 33 CFR 151 says about plastic anywhere in the ocean (is it ever allowed to be discharged?) • Check the exact wording for garbage discharge within 3 NM of the nearest land in U.S. waters • Confirm the distance limits for dunnage, lining, and packing materials that float vs. do not float and see which distance (12 NM, 25 NM, etc.) actually appears in the regulation