In celebration of World Ocean Day on 8th June, UK marine conservation charity GreenSeas Trust has announced a major milestone—its efforts have stopped an estimated one million plastic bottles from entering the ocean, thanks to its impactful BinForGreenSeas initiative.
World Ocean Day is a global awareness event that brings people and organisations together each year to celebrate and protect the ocean and highlights the urgent need to tackle issues such as plastic pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
The BinForGreenSeas campaign is a nationwide initiative. More than just bins, these recycling installations located in prominent seaside and riverside locations in the UK serve as daily public reminders of the urgent need to protect our oceans from plastic waste.
Plastic pollution remains a major environmental challenge. Single-use plastics—such as bottles, wrappers, and cigarette butts—are the most found litter on UK beaches. These items degrade into harmful microplastics, which damage ecosystems, threaten marine life, and ultimately enter the human food chain.
Since the campaign launched in 2003, GreenSeas Trust has installed 23 bins in key UK coastal towns including Brighton, Margate, Scarborough, Eastbourne and Portishead. One of the most recent bins was unveiled in Qatar at The Pearl, expanding the initiative’s global reach.
Fazilette Khan, MNM, CEnv, IEng, Founder Trustee of GreenSeas Trust comments: “We’ve stopped over a million plastic bottles from reaching the ocean. It’s a huge achievement but we know there’s much more to be done. World Ocean Day reminds us that everyone has a part to play. People often think a single contribution like recycling properly, refusing single-use plastic, or supporting our bins initiative is too small to make a difference, but all it takes is a small pebble to create huge ripples.”
GreenSeas Trust is committed to raising awareness, changing behaviour, and promoting sustainable living. Every bin installed is a step toward a cleaner, healthier future for our planet.
The charity is also encouraging people to take the GreenSeas Pledge on its website and commit to making simple, everyday changes to reduce their plastic footprint.