Fazilette Khan, founder of the GreenSeas Trust, has been awarded an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours for her outstanding services to marine conservation.
Fazilette’s work began in 2000, long before the issues of marine plastic waste and climate change became part of daily conversation. Under her leadership, GreenSeas Trust has reached an impressive milestone: its flagship project, BinForGreenSeas, has stopped over one million plastic bottles from entering the ocean.
The BinForGreenSeas campaign is active across the UK, with 23 bins installed in prominent coastal towns including Cardiff, as well as Margate, Scarborough, Eastbourne and Portishead. The project has also recently expanded overseas, with new installations at The Pearl Island in Qatar.
Breaking barriers early in her career, Fazilette qualified as a marine electronic engineer at HMS Worcester (Merchant Navy College) in 1984 and became one of the first female Radio Officers from an ethnic minority background in the male-dominated shipping industry. She went on to serve with major operators including P&O Cruises and Cunard, where she saw the damaging impact of marine litter first-hand.
Her dedication has previously earned her both the Merchant Navy Medal for Services to the Marine Environment and the Points of Light Award from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
On receiving the MBE, Fazilette said: “I am incredibly honoured and humbled to receive this recognition. My hope is that this inspires others to join us in protecting our beautiful blue planet.”
Further information is available at: https://www.greenseas.org