A lake glimmering in the sun. The joy of taking a boat tour. The soft scent of the sea-milkwort plant. Footprints in clean sand. These are some good reasons why the Finnish organisation Keep the Archipelago Tidy was founded in 1969.

From the sea to the lakes

Keep the Archipelago Tidy is an organisation active in environment protection in many fields: waste collection, recycling, information and education. The organisation started as an initiative of individual people in the archipelago area and has later spread to the coastal areas and the Finnish lake district.

Apart from the well-known Rubbish Seal waste recycling bins, our services include earth closets and small harbours for boating trips. In addition to these established services, the organisation has also started special local projects, which all contribute to  creating a better future for our water environments.

Together for a cleaner future

We have a great responsibility - to leave an environment after us that we can be proud of. That is why we in Keep the Archipelago Tidy want to remind all who travel on the waters of the diversity of nature and the need for a cleaner future.

In our educational work for children, young people and adults we use a "carrots rather than sticks" approach. Our aim is to increase responsibility for the environment, using simple and clear advice. The starting points for a life and behaviour that show respect for the environment are already there.

Nature knows no borders

Keep the Archipelago Tidy initiated international co-operation in the environment field in 1993, in the project Keep the Baltic Tidy. Apart from Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia are actively participating in this project.

Keep the Archipelago Tidy also acted as midwife in the birth of its Estonian sister organisation Hoia Eesti merd!. Similarly, the International Blue Flag and Green Flag campaigns encourage environmental awareness among people frequenting boat harbours and beaches, in schools and day-care centres.

A clean investment

Our activities in many fields require funding. We receive support for our work from our members, but also from the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, various companies and local government. Responsibility for nature and our life environment is gradually becoming more important as a value guiding decision-making.

The Rubbish Seal is the symbol of our organisation, and the Seal sticker is the keystone of our activities. The Seal sticker on your boat, canoe or car entitles you to use our Seal services. It is a sign of caring and support, of taking responsibility for the environment. The sticker has a new colour each year, and a straight flush of stickers on the boat windscreen or mast is a source of pride for many people travelling in the archipelago.

Keep the Archipelago Tidy is an organisation for you, who

• appreciate the sea and lake scenery
• want to support activities for the benefit of the sea and the lakes
• need waste collection and other services in marinas

Where does your membership fee go? You can choose if you want to support the archipelago, the coastal area or the lake district. As a member you will receive member post from us, a Rubbish Seal sticker entitling you to use our services and various benefits.

Become a member of Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association!