Fazilette Khan

Fazilette Khan qualified as a Radio Officer from the Merchant Navy College and spent 30 years as a sea-going officer. She worked for many prominent shipping companies sailing on a vessels ranging from 3500-450000 GRT. During that time, Fazilette also had a strong fan base as a columnist for TradeWinds, regaling the shipping community with anecdotes about life at sea as the only female officer on board the vessel.  With the acceleration of technology making her rank redundant, Fazilette changed paths and became an Environmental Officer for a major cruise line. 

Having witnessed the degradation of pristine coastal areas from litter, Fazilette founded a charity in 2003 to combat marine plastics. The GreenSeas Trust was established in memory of her mother, Haida Khan. The charity has worked on projects at home and abroad to reduce plastic pollution in the sea and raise awareness about the issue. The BinForGreenSeas is its latest project. The graphics and statistic on the 1.5m high, bright orange, lifebuoy shaped recycling bin, with its tagline, "Throw marine life a lifeline," helps people to make the connection between the thoughtless discarding of rubbish on beaches and in waterways and the harmful effect this has on marine life. 

A distinguished writer, Fazilette writes for many prominent maritime publications and has been the focus of many articles herself. She features in the exhibition, Life on Board at the Merseyside Maritime Museum. In 2020, Fazilette was awarded the Merchant Navy Medal for services to the marine environment.

Expertise: Marine plastic pollution