one drop at a time
Saving our Oceans since 2002
The aim of GreenSeas Trust is to educate, promote and implement environmental programmes to eliminate plastics entering the seas and coastal areas. Our goal is to ensure marine life and fish stocks are sustainable for future generations.
Plastic waste in our oceans has increased in recent years at a staggering rate. A significant part of this marine debris comes from improperly disposed of rubbish, careless littering and accidental propagation by winds, drains and floods.
Do you know what happens to your waste?
Cigarettes: these contain cellulose acetate, a plastic that gets into oceans when cigarette butts are discarded thoughtlessly.
Drinks containers and food wrappings: over time, they will degrade into smaller pieces – this is how plastic fragments enter the food chain.
This adds up to an estimated 8M tons of plastic entering our oceans each year.
There are over 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic in the sea already. And that number is only going to get higher.
Not convinced yet? Click here for more facts and figures.
Our BinForGreenSeas project is an innovative way to promote behavioural change and stop more plastics entering the sea.
We have designed a thought-provoking bin, which will be placed around coastal areas. With a striking design, it will remind people to dispose of their waste responsibly by reminding them of the dangers for marine life.
TRYING TO SURVIVE IN A SEA OF PLASTICS
From her poem; The Moon and the Dervish
And as this lonely Dervish bids you adieu!
To roam through the clouds as you always do;
We will sit and wait in the Caravan of Time
For the virtuous giver of love’s flaming wine.
From her poem; The Gift of Colour
This lovely world we live upon,
Has many more colours than the rainbow shone
Where would we be if there was none?
And the world spun white round and round.
Haida Khan’s vision and comprehension of the beauty in nature that reveals itself to the observant eye will remain the guiding inspiration of this trust.
Fazilette is the daughter of Haida Khan, in whose memory the charity is dedicated.
Fazilette qualified as a marine electronic engineer from the Merchant Navy College, formerly HMS Worchester. She became a Radio Officer at a time when women at sea were few and far between. Working for many prominent companies, including; Stena Line, P&O Cruises, Cunard, Spliethoff, and Swire Pacific.
Fazilette has witnessed the growing problem of marine debris on our oceans first hand. “My career at sea has allowed me the privilege to visit some of the most exotic and pristine coastal areas in remote parts of the world. It is heart breaking to come back a few years later and see those very same coves and beaches now strewn with unsightly plastics bottles and other non-biodegradable rubbish.”
Fazilette is a distinguished columnist and writer for many prominent maritime publications.
She is a Chartered Environmentalist, a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology and an Incorporated Engineer of the Engineering Council.
Emir is a Consultant specialising in transformational change. The majority of his career was spent at the Sunday Times as Associate Managing Editor of this leading Sunday Paper.
He is a Magistrate for the Central London Bench for both the adult and family Courts. He is also a Commissioner for the Judicial Appointment Commission, which selects candidates for judicial office in Courts and tribunals.
Emir sits on a number of Boards to include the Lambeth Clinical Commissioning Group, the Honours Committee, and the Henry Smith Charity. In the recent past he has sat on the Boards of London Metropolitan University , The Royal Parks Agency, SWL and St.Georges Mental Health Trust amongst others.
Julie is a qualified Veterinary Nurse with a keen interest in wildlife.
“I believe it is our duty to protect the environment for each and every species for their survival, and for future human generations to enjoy. Simply jettisoning our rubbish where we can no longer see it is not sustainable. We all need to act now.”
Julie has had a varied career, mostly working in pre-press. She takes an active role in producing print material for the charity as well as provides unparalleled support. Currently, she is living on a smallholding in West Wales where she can put the ethical production of food into practice.
Cigarette butts have 600 ingredients, 7,000 chemicals when burnt. These toxins leach into the marine environment
This is where you can find all our latest updates and keep track of our current projects.
The winning concept was designed by Emily Hodgkinson and George Davis, 2nd year product design students from the University of East London.
GreenSeas Trust is now looking for partners and sponsors to financially help in the manufacturing costs for these bins. We can provide a range of sponsorship packages to suit a company’s needs and help you to achieve your CSR goals. Please use our Contact Us page to get in touch.
“Having grown up in Sussex and spending my childhood visiting beaches all along the south coast, this particular project was personal for me from day one. As the first #BinForGreenSeas is destined for Littlehampton I felt compelled to make this project a success by creating a memorable design which would open people’s eyes to the issue of plastic waste. George and I were astounded when we first started to find out about the disastrous effects plastic is having all around the world and it can’t be allowed to continue. I want to make sure our oceans and beaches are a clean and natural environment so that children for generations to come can create the childhood memories I was lucky enough to have. I’m just thankful that being a product design student has put me in the position where I could actually make a difference.” Emily Hodgkinson, Product Design Student – University of East London.
“As a product design student, working alongside GreenGeas Trust in the designing of a bin has broadened my outlook on the design world and how product designers shape the world, positively and negatively. Taking part in the project has shown me what a huge impact plastic waste can have on the natural environment but it has also shown me how, if we work together, we can help stop this issue. The GreenSeas Trust beach clean at Littlehampton and the BinforGreenSeas project will help influence my future designs to be more environmentally aware.” George Davis, Product Design Student – University of East London.
It is not unusual to go to a beach and find, despite a lot of rubbish bins being there, people don’t use them.
Why? A lack of awareness. People don’t realise that apart from just the aesthetics, the consequences of plastics in our oceans effects humans too – individually and collectively. (‘read more about it’)
Solution? BinForGreenseas Project. The trust is working with design students from two of UK’s top universities to change the; ‘Can’t be bothered’ attitude to one of responsible waste disposal.
The final year students showcased their bin design at DMEM Industrial Projects Presentation Day in Glasgow. The worthy young designers (left to right, Scott, Astrid, Cody and James) were given certificates by trustee, Fazilette (centre) to acknowledge their hard work, dedication and invaluable contribution to the BinForGreenSeas project.
The proposed GreenSeas bin presented by Team 27 on Industrial Projects Presentation Day
Year 1 student competition
The BinForGreenSeas project, supported by Arun District Council and its waste contractor Biffa, saw nine students create design concepts for an iconic beach waste bin as part of their first year course work. 19 year old Laura Monica Carusato produced the winning design. She was awarded a trophy but Fazilette Khan, founding trustee of the GreenSeas Trust.
Year 1 product design students, judges and senior lecturers from UEL
Judges with the winner
Left to right : Darren Wingrove, project manager at Logoplaste Innovation Lab, Biffa business development manager Karen Sherwood, Laura Monica Carusato , Fazilette Khan, Edina Seiben, GreenSeas Trust project co-ordinator.
Students from the University of East London surveyed the shoreline to determine elements that need to be incorporated into the design of ‘behaviour-changing’ waste bins. The marine debris found was analysed and quantified. Not surprisingly, plastics objects made up the majority of the litter found.
The windy conditions at Littlehampton, did not deter the students, whose enthusiasm had many locals enquiring about the project and wanting to know how they could lend their support to the project.
Our team from University of Strathclyde University have taken up the challenge to come up with a bin design that will ‘stick out like a sore thumb.’
Visualising a concept to prick people’s conscious is not an easy thing. The students have been resorting to a number of resourceful ways to whittle their ideas down to take it to the next stage.
At Langley Park Boys’ School in Bromley, for Greenseas Trust promoted the issues of marine garbage and its effects on the marine ecosystem. The nautically themed music played by the orchestra of students and professionals of Everyone Matters, accompanied the slide show. Fazilette Khan, later talked about how making a few conscious changes in recycling habits can benefit the planet.
Cigarette butts filters are made of cellulose acetate fibres (a plastic) which does not degrade. These fibres, each approximately 20 μm in diameter are packed tightly together. These filters contain toxins such as, carcinogenic chemicals, pesticides, and nicotine which leach into the marine environment and poison microbes, insects and fish or suffocate marine wildlife. Cigarette butts are the number one item found in coastal clean-ups. It is estimated there are over 4 trillion cigarette butts in the oceans – and counting.
GreenSeas Trust wants to eradicate thoughtless disposal of cigarette butts on beaches and in drains through a major awareness campaign. We want smokers to behave responsibly and put their butts in designated bins or pocket ashtrays.
With the support of Mairie de Cannes, GreenSeas Trust volunteers gave away free pocket ashtrays and leaflets to highlight the effects of cigarette butts in the sea. Working as a group, picking up litter and cigarette ends, caught the attention of the beach-goers. Many of whom were surprised to learn cigarette filters are made of plastics.
Studies show only 57% of plastic bottles are recycled in the UK. This means that everyday 15m plastic bottles are not recycled!
Reverse vending machines (RVM’s) give back money to the consumer when plastic beverage bottles are returned. Even if some consumers are not bothered about the deposit they pay, others will profit by picking them up. It adds a value to plastic litter!
Returned plastic bottles can then be recycled to make new ones and since they are removed at source, it stop’s them from ending up as marine litter. It can create new green jobs too!
Countries which have adopted the Deposit Refund Scheme on average, have seen and improved recycling rate of > 80%.
GreenSeas Trust embarked upon a campaign for cruise ship crews to respect the pristine environments the ships sail into. From vessel to vessel, crew numbers vary, often coming from a diverse range of backgrounds. It was imperative to overcome the, “It’s not my country,” way of thought and instil a kindred sense of community for the people and environments the ships visit.
Using a series of posters, lectures and visual aids, GreenSeas Trust was able to highlight the problems of marine debris and how it effects each and every one of us. Since most crew members often come from coastal regions themselves and have diets that include fish, the trust focused their attention to the effects of the lifecycle of plastics and other rubbish on marine animals and the toxins they release as they breakdown. This led to a successful outcome with beaches and beauty spots being left intact and untouched by thrash.
GreenSeas Trust pioneered at a grassroots level the “Litter Kills Marine Life” program on the island of Tobago.
Like many of the islands in the Caribbean, Tobago’s economic survival is based on tourism. Buccoo Reef, once a place of outstanding natural beauty, rich in coral and marine life, has been bleached due by marine pollution and climate change.
To combat the problem of marine debris, GreenSeas Trust used a three pronged approach. The Bins on the Beaches project, saw GreenSeas Trust placed garbage bins along the island’s popular beaches of Swallows, Grafton, Turtle, Buccoo, Grange Bay, and Lowlands Beach.
Previously, Tobago had not benefitted from having any bins, instead, it relied on the sporadic services of cleaning gangs. Negotiating with the government, GreenSeas Trust received a pledge by the Department of Public Health to empty the bins on a regular and scheduled basis.
In a joint initiative with the Ministry of Education, GreenSeas Trust implemented Litter Awareness Program in schools and other educational institutes, highlighting the harm to marine life from chemical leeching, plastic ingestion the smothering of coral polyps.
“You can never know what the impact of environmental teaching to children of all ages might have in the long term, “said Fazilette Khan, a trustee of the organisation, “When one appreciates the island’s livelihood depends in one way or another on the environment, whether it is from fishing, agriculture or tourism, it goes a long way in shining a beam on priorities. No one these days is unaware of the fact that toxic chemicals including those from batteries, car tyres, plastics and petroleum products can leach into the soil and the water and cause severe damage to the ecosystem, but unless it is given constant focus, it tends to get left on the back burner.”
Advocating Recycling, GreenSeas Trust approached the business community highlighting the potential cost savings achievable. As a result, Tobago is currently recycling aluminium and glass with other recyclable streams being explored in the future.
GreenSeas Trust’s presence and campaigns has brought forth a commitment by the Tobago House Assembly to uphold the island’s new motto of Clean, Green and Serene.
Leave the beach as you would wish to find it - Pristine
In the UK, and many countries for that matter, the water that come out of the tap is as good if not better than bottled water. However, if concerns or taste is an issue, why not filter the tap water. It would save you money AND save the planet.
According to a recent study, the average UK family uses 500 bottles per year but only recycles 280 of them. This means, approximately 15 million bottles EACH DAY are not being recycled. Some end up in the sea contributing to the Great Garbage Patches around the world. Do your bit, put them into the recycling bin.
Over 500,000 straws were found in single day beach clean. The consequences of these plastics can be devastating for marine life.
If that’s not bad enough, each butt leeches 200+ chemicals into the surrounding water.
Drains are meant for rain and water. Overflows of drains go directly into rivers and waterways. Any rubbish/cigarette butts thrown down into one will eventually end up in the sea.
Be a considerate citizen, use a rubbish bin to thrown away your litter.
Less than one per cent of the estimated 2.5 billion paper and plastic cups used in the UK each year are recycled. Contrary to most peoples beliefs, these cups are very hard to recycle because of the plastic lining.
There are over 5.25 trillion plastic particles in the seas. Some are getting into the food chain.
DON'T LET PLASTICS STRANGLE OUR MARINE LIFE
INNOVATIVE BEACH BIN CREATED TO TACKLE BEACH WASTE
New bin makes waste disposal fun
New Bin Design Could Help Tackle Waste On Beaches
NEW BEACH BIN COULD HELP TACKLE WASTE ON BEACHES
New Bin Design Could Help Tackle Waste On Beaches
Student’s nautical idea to beat beach waste
Students’ Innovative Bin Designs to Change our Disposable Culture
Students hit the beach to design a behaviour-changing bin
Read full article here (portcare.com)
Read full article here (seanews.co.uk)
Read full article here (maritimeprofessionals.net)
Charity and University team up to tackle plastic pollution in the sea
Read full article here (allaboutshipping.co.uk)
Litter pick forms part of a beach bin project
Read full article here (littlehamptongazette.co.uk)
Her Royal Highness, Princess Anne with trustee, Fazilette Khan. One of eight special readers invited to partake in the prestigious Mission to Seafarers annual Christmas event. It was held at St Michael Paternoster Royal, in the City of London.
Read full article here (seecannes.com)
Read full article here (monacolife.net)
Read full article here (shippingobserver.com)
Read full article here (allaboutshipping.co.uk)
Article by Fazilette Khan about the impact of the millions of tonnes of rubbish on our wildlife.
Read full article here (PDF, 7 Mb.)
HELP US TO BRING ABOUT CHANGE
This is the home of the GreenSease Trust blog, a place where we will post news and blogs to keep you up-to-date with the latest goings on in our fight to save the oceans. You will find news about current topics, tips and tricks, in-depth information and updates on our work.
Blog post: (August 2018) Top Tips to Help Reduce Plastic Usage
Blog post: (September 2018) Bags of Potential: Why Banning Single-Use Plastic Bags is Such a Promising Idea