Clean the channel from trash and rent a boat for free. This is an offer to tourists that was launched in Copenhagen earlier in July.
We know that we can't save the whole world, but this is a way to contribute, says Julie Overgaard at Goboat.
Two boats with 14 tourists equipped with nets have just set out in Copenhagen's canal to catch trash.
As a thank you, they get to borrow the boat for free for an hour, which would otherwise cost around 900 Swedish kronor.
The interest seems enormous. We have fully booked the week and I've noticed that there are more and more foreign names in the booking system, said Overgaard earlier in July.
The initiative is part of Copenpay, a concept developed by Copenhagen's official tourist agency, which rewards tourists who choose sustainable alternatives.
Previously, we've given nets to children and appointed them as trash pirates when they come back with trash, but this is the first time we're offering free rental as a thank you for the help, says Overgaard.
Handling mass tourism
Aline Almedia from Brazil and Robert Nally from Ireland are two tourists who have taken up the idea. After an hour at sea, they've managed to fill two bags with, among other things, paper cups and plastic.
I read about it on Instagram and thought it was a fantastic idea. Copenhagen is also an expensive city, so there was nothing speaking against it, says Aline Almedia.
Robert Nally agrees and compares Copenhagen to Barcelona, where tourists have become increasingly unpopular among certain groups.
I know that locals have been tired of mass tourism, but then I think this is a much better way to tackle the problem.
Critical locals
The district of Islands Brygge, where the boat rental is located, is far from spared from loud parties and trash during the summer. Copenhageners have previously worried about glass shards that dogs can step on and trash that risks ending up in the canal.
It's become increasingly trashy and messy during the summer months, says Kim Baden Kristensen, who has lived in the area for 15 years.
But according to him, you can't solely blame the tourists.
Many Danes from the outskirts of Copenhagen come. I think they litter the most, but if the tourists think it's fun to clean the canal, that's fantastic.
