Fazilette Khan originally 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 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 her rank eventually became redundant, so 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, the GreenSeas Trust, in 2003 to combat marine plastics. The 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 this critical issue, particularly with its latest project, the BinForGreenSeas. The 1.5 metre 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 effects 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 and in the "Making Waves" series by the Royal Museum Greenwich.
In 2020, Fazilette was awarded the Merchant Navy Medal for services to the marine environment, and in 2023 was awarded the Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister. Fazilette’s Chartered Environmentalist status and her membership of the IES have given her the chance to access the latest news and important updates on the environmental issues that she is concerned with. She is also able to connect with a wide network of environmental professionals and share her mission of reducing marine plastic pollution.
