Graduation assignment – Reducing Packaging Waste Onboard Offshore Vessels

Graduation assignment – Reducing Packaging Waste Onboard Offshore Vessels

Designing circular logistics strategies to eliminate packaging waste before it reaches offshore vessels.

Your role in the story

Are you a final-year student with a passion for offshore engineering and sustainability? Are you eager to reduce waste at the source and make real impact at sea? Join us and become part of a cross-functional team that tackles one of the offshore industry's most persistent waste challenges, packaging. This assignment places you at the center of logistics innovation and circular supply chains, where your work directly supports Heerema’s zero-waste ambition. A significant share of waste generated onboard vessels comes from packaging, cardboard, plastic, and wooden pallets associated with deliveries. Once offshore, options for waste handling are limited, leading to incineration or return to shore. This project explores how Heerema can prevent packaging waste from reaching vessels by shifting waste-reduction actions to onshore hubs or implementing reusable systems.

Your mission & goals

Key Goals

• What types of packaging waste are most common onboard, and what are their sources?
• Can packaging be removed or reduced at the yard or logistics hub before offshore delivery?
• How feasible is it to implement reusable crate systems or bulk packaging?
• Could a closed-loop packaging system be introduced between onshore and offshore facilities?
• What are the logistical, cost, and waste impacts of shifting to reusable systems?

Technical challenges

• Mapping and quantifying packaging waste in a complex offshore environment
• Designing feasible logistics flows that meet operational constraints
• Evaluating lifecycle impacts and cost trade-offs of reusable vs. single-use systems

During your graduation project, you’ll be working towards a set of tangible and impactful outcomes, including:

• A waste baseline analysis and accompanying flowchart to map current material flows
• A visual logistics diagram or infographic to clearly communicate complex processes
• A strategy paper (approximately 25–40 pages) outlining design scenarios and recommendations
• An executive presentation or thesis defense to communicate your findings to key stakeholders

What you’ll gain

• Insight into circular logistics and sustainable supply chain innovation
• Experience with data analysis, stakeholder mapping, and scenario modeling
• Exposure to offshore operations and Heerema’s sustainability ambitions
• Access to real-world waste and logistics data
• Professional guidance from logistics, sustainability, and engineering teams

Is this you?

• You're currently pursuing or have recently completed an MSc or BSc (WO/HBO) in Industrial Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Logistics, Sustainability, or a related field
• You have a strong interest in offshore logistics, sustainability, and the circular economy
• You’re familiar with basic data analysis and tools like Power BI and Excel, and you have an affinity for flowcharting or systems thinking
• You speak English fluently; Dutch is a plus
• You’re independent, analytical, and curious by nature

Practical Information

Start date: September 2025

Duration: 6–9 months

Location: Leiden office / visits to yard or warehouse facility

What we offer

• A challenging and meaningful assignment aligned with your study goals;
• Guidance from senior engineers and project leads;
• An innovative work environment with access to cutting-edge tools and infrastructure;
• A monthly internship allowance;
• Opportunities for future career steps within our company (internship as a stepping stone).

Ready to graduate with impact? Apply now and take the first step toward your offshore engineering career!

We are looking forward to hearing from you. We are interested in your CV, but we mainly want to find out more about your ambitions, your personality, and what is your motivation to succeed. So be sure to include a brief cover letter explaining why you are the perfect fit for this graduation assignment.

So hit the button, apply, and make the impossible possible with Heerema. We’d love to meet you!