Sludge and slops, landed and collected
Every ship with an engine room makes sludge, and most build up oily slops as well. Neither can go over the side. They have to be kept on board in their own tanks and landed ashore at a port, where a licensed collector takes them away. That’s the job we do at the Humber ports.
BL Oils is a Doncaster-based, Environment Agency upper-tier waste carrier and dealer (CBDU69834), and an approved contractor at Hull, Goole, Immingham and Killingholme. We pump sludge and slops from the vessel straight into our road tanker, parked on the quay alongside.
What is ship sludge?
Ships clean their fuel and lube oil before using it, normally with separators or purifiers in the engine room. What those machines take out (water, dirt, carbon and other solids mixed with oil) is sludge. It’s drained into a sludge tank, and when that tank is full it has to be emptied at a port.
Sludge is thick and can be hard to pump when it’s cold. If the sludge tank has heating, it helps to warm it before we arrive. Tell us when you book if the sludge is very thick.
What are slops?
Slops are mixtures of oil and water collected in a slop tank. On board they come from things like tank washings, drained oily water and residue from the oily water separator. They’re usually wetter than sludge and easier to pump.
What we collect
- Sludge from the sludge tank, from fuel and lube oil cleaning
- Slops and oily residues from slop tanks
- Waste lube and engine oil drained during maintenance
- Bilge water and oily water on the same visit (see bilge and oily water collection)
- Used oil filters from the engine room
Oily waste only. We don’t collect sewage, rubbish (garbage) or chemicals from ships, and we don’t collect cooking oil or galley waste. Your ship’s agent or the port can arrange those separately.
How a sludge or slops collection works
Most collections are booked through the ship’s agent. Here’s what normally happens.
Tell us about the call
The ship’s agent, operator or port gives us the vessel name, port and berth, when it’s alongside, and the waste types and rough volumes.
We plan it with you
We give you a free, no-obligation quote and agree the timing, access to the quay and any port security requirements.
Pumped to our tanker on the quay
We pump the waste from the vessel straight into our road tanker, parked on the quay alongside.
Paperwork handed over
You get a hazardous waste consignment note for every collection, showing what was collected and how much.
Planning the collection
The more we know before the vessel arrives, the smoother the collection goes. Please tell us:
- Vessel name, port, dock and berth
- When the vessel is alongside, and when it sails
- Roughly how much sludge and how much slops, in cubic metres or litres
- Whether the sludge tank is heated, and how thick the sludge is
- Any other waste to land, such as bilge water, used oil or filters
- The agent’s contact details, and any quay access or security rules
Larger vessels can land a lot of sludge and slops at once. Tell us the volumes early so we can bring enough capacity. The vessel needs to be on a berth our tanker can drive up to, so tell us the berth early. See quayside tanker collection.
Keep it oily waste only
Please don’t put sewage, grey water, chemicals, cleaning products or rubbish into the sludge or slop tank. Mixed loads are harder to deal with properly, and we only collect oily waste.
Paperwork for sludge and slops
Once it’s landed, sludge and slops are hazardous waste. Every collection comes with a hazardous waste consignment note showing the waste type, quantity, waste code and where it came from. The ship can use these details for its Oil Record Book. Our registration, CBDU69834, can be checked on the Environment Agency’s public register. See consignment notes explained.
| Waste | Typical EWC code |
|---|---|
| Sludge from fuel and lube oil cleaning on board | 13 07 03* / 13 05 02* |
| Slops and oily water | 13 04 03* / 13 05 07* |
| Waste engine, gear and lubricating oils | 13 02 05* |
| Used oil filters | 16 01 07* |
These are typical codes only. The right code depends on what the waste is and where it came from, and we’ll confirm it with you before collection. An asterisk (*) means hazardous waste.
Ports we cover
We’re an approved contractor at four Humber ports:
Back to marine waste oil collection.
Sludge and slops: FAQs
What’s the difference between sludge and slops?
Sludge is the thick residue left after fuel and lube oil are cleaned on board, and it’s kept in a sludge tank. Slops are wetter mixtures of oil and water, kept in a slop tank. We collect both.
Can you collect sludge and slops on the same visit?
Yes. We can also take bilge water, used oil and oil filters at the same time. Tell us the rough volume of each when you book.
Does the sludge need heating before you pump it?
It helps. Cold sludge can be very thick. If the sludge tank has heating, warming it before we arrive makes pumping easier. Tell us if the sludge is very thick.
Do you take sewage or chemicals with the sludge?
No. We collect oily waste only. We don’t collect sewage, rubbish or chemicals from ships. Your agent or the port can arrange those separately.
How much does sludge collection cost?
Every vessel and job is different, so we give you a free, no-obligation quote. Tell us the port, the waste types and roughly how much there is.
BL Oils is based in Doncaster and collects across all of Yorkshire, plus Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire (areas we cover). Call or WhatsApp 07785 921493, email info@bloils.co.uk, or ask for a free quote.