Washington State Ferries Joins Green Marine

Washington State Ferries (WSF) has become the first U.S. ferry operator to join Green Marine, the globally-recognized environmental certification program for the North American maritime industry. 

WSF is the largest ferry system in the U.S, serving nearly 25 million people a year. It is enrolling all of its operations in the Green Marine program, namely 22 vessels, 19 terminals and a maintenance facility, thereby showing its substantial commitment to sustainable operations.

Green Marine is a voluntary industry-led sustainability initiative for ship owners, port authorities, terminal operators and shipyard managers. The certification program guides participants towards reducing their environmental footprint by setting various benchmarks that exceed regulatory compliance and foster a culture of continual improvement. 

The Green Marine environmental certification program addresses key environmental issues through 12 performance indicators. Some are applicable to shipping activities; others to landside operations.
 
The shipowners’ criteria address greenhouse gases, air emissions, oily water, garbage management and underwater noise. Terminal operators and shipyard managers’ criteria focus on greenhouse gases, spill prevention, waste management, environmental leadership, community impacts and underwater noise.

The Green Marine certification process is rigorous and transparent. Results are independently verified every two years and each company’s individual results are published annually and made available on line on the Green Marine website.