About us
Keep the Archipelago Tidy is an environmental organisation for all those travelling in and around Finnish waterways
Established in 1969, the Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association is a Finnish environmental organisation for boaters and all those travelling in and around Finnish waterways. The association serves the archipelago and coastal regions, as well as the network of lakes in the Finnish Lakeland region.
Diverse and concrete activities for the wellbeing of waterways
The operations of the association are divided into three distinct areas of activity:
- environmental management
- environmental communication
- project work
The task and aim of the Association is to keep Finland’s coastlines and archipelago clean, and to support opportunities for recreational boating, water tourism, and the enjoyment of all the waterways in and around Finland.
Roope services and sustainable water tourism
The Association maintains the Roope services intended for those travelling in and around Finnish maritime and lake regions. Roope services enable sustainable water tourism. They help to keep our waters litter-free and reduce eutrophication.
KAT fights against marine and lake littering
- We take care of peoples trash when they are travelling in our beautiful archipelago or lake areas.
- We help people to do right thing – sort their waste even when travelling.
- We educate in a positive but effective way.
- We activate people.
- We research what kind of litter can be most commonly found on the beaches and report it to HELCOM
- We want to find litters pathways into to the water and prevent it.
Where it all begun
Waste management was very undeveloped in the Finnish archipelago in the 1960s. People used to dump their trashes into the sea or of construct private landfills. The beaches were very trashy.
KAT was founded in 1969 by individuals who were concerned about littering in the Finnish archipelago. At first, they put some trash bins in place and asked the locals to either burn or transport the trash to the main land.
