IMO chief backs former seafarer's green marine charity

This year's summer solstice was a bright day for the GreenSeas Trust charity, with its iconic BinForGreenSeas installed in the most meaningful spot yet – outside the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters on the River Thames in London.

IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez did the honours of cutting the ribbon in a ceremony hosted by GreenSeas Trust founder Fazilette Khan, whose long association with Nautilus goes back to membership of its predecessor union REOU.

Ms Khan explained that the BinForGreenSeas has two uses. It is both a practical way of collecting plastic bottles that might otherwise find their way into rivers and seas, and a campaign tool to raise awareness of marine pollution.

Located now in 18 sites around the UK, the campaigning bins have an eye-catching design and provide information to help tourists and locals find out more about protecting the marine environment from waste plastic.

Mr Dominguez was keen to throw his weight behind the campaign, saying that the new BinForGreenSeas outside his workplace would inspire him and his colleagues to tackle plastic pollution both individually and collectively.

He noted that the IMO needs to revisit its guidelines on reducing single-use plastics onboard ship and make sure these are being implemented, and said the BinForGreenSeas would be a daily reminder of the importance of this work.

Several more of the campaigning bins are set to be installed in UK sites in the next few months, and the scheme is soon to go international.