Summer’s highlight was kayaking around Copenhagen’s canals to collect rubbish

I’ve attempted to get up with my friend Clara for a “BFF vacation” once every few years since since I moved from the UK to the US. I fly out of New York, whereas she comes from Newcastle.

We last met in Iceland just before the flu started. Amsterdam came first, then that. We travelled to Copenhagen in June for the first time as BFFs since the epidemic and since turning 30.

Our finest journey to date.

Over the course of four days, we indulged in pastries, visited famous locations like Rosenborg and the Tivoli Gardens, went shopping on the city’s fashionable Jaegersborggade street, and often spent our evenings by canals.

The Danish capital is near to Sweden and is located on the islands of Zealand and Amager, which are connected by the resund Bridge.

Since Malmö, Sweden, is just a 40-minute train journey away, many tourists to Copenhagen include a day excursion there while planning their vacation.

We had planned a day excursion, but we ended up enjoying Copenhagen so much that we didn’t want to leave. Excuse me, Sweden.

In addition to a Hey Captain canal tour and a bath in the Islands Brygge Harbour Bath, we had a few water-related plans. Despite the fact that I’d endorse both, there was one more water-related activity that I’d urge everyone visiting Copenhagen to take part in.

Before Clara emailed me a link to GreenKayak’s website a few weeks before our trip, I had never heard of the environmental NGO, which is located in Denmark.

The idea behind GreenKayak is straightforward: in exchange for a free kayak rental, you pick up trash as you travel. After that, you hand the bucket to a worker for sorting, recycling, or disposal.

In order to spread the word, GreenKayak also requests that kayakers post a picture of their experience on social media with the hashtag #greenkayak.

I thought it seemed like a great way to become engaged in neighbourhood environmental initiatives while taking in some views as I scrolled through photographs of individuals collecting rubbish from a canal.

I also loved the concept of giving back to the community while visiting rather than simply consuming.

On a surfing vacation in 2017, Carstensen said that he had just graduated from business school and had just met Weber-Andersen. At the time, Weber-Andersen was employed by Kayak Republic, a kayak rental business that annually staged a cleaning in Copenhagen Harbor.

Weber-Andersen saw more debris in the river while kayaking on a tour the day following a cleaning. As a result, he took action by organising daily cleanups.

However, Weber-Andersen, 42, and Carstensen, 31, wanted to go even farther. GreenKayak was established as a result of Carstensen saying he wanted to explore what would occur if he invested some effort in turning it into a company.

One of the nine GreenKayak hosts where customers may pick up a boat in Copenhagen today is Kayak Republic. Aarhus and Aalborg are two of the other cities in Denmark where the group is active. Beyond that, GreenKayak collaborates with hosts in a number of places, including Berlin, Hamburg, Oslo, and Stockholm.

Regardless of their financial situation or budget, the co-founders wanted to provide individuals a means to contribute to the environment, Carstensen added.

He said, “If you want to do good, you should be able to do good.”

Including the well-known Danish brewer Carlsberg and the skin-care business Biotherm, according to Carstensen, GreenKayak is supported through contributions and brand partners. According to Carstensen, these partners give kayaks that are emblazoned with their logos, providing them a floating advertising.

Always thinking about food, we decided on Green Island, a floating café that seemed to be a wonderful destination for lunch after kayaking. We then picked a day and location, reserved a time slot, and began counting down the days.

We erred by skipping breakfast before checking out of our Airbnb, so we had to go quite a distance to locate coffee and a snack along the port.

We couldn’t wait to go out on the lake and cool down on a Sunday in late June during a heat wave that was exceptionally warm.

When it came time for our kayak session, the café was beginning to become full around brunch time, so we had to wait a little while for a staff member to become available.

We took a quick look at the menu while thinking about lunch in the meanwhile.

We cautiously climbed aboard the boat, opting to bring our belongings with us, and put the life jackets over our bikinis. Our bags were completely saturated by the end, so in retrospect, maybe this wasn’t the greatest choice.

We needed a little time to settle in and get going (if you’ve met us, you’ll understand). But soon enough, we had merged with the port flow and had developed a rhythmic style of paddling.

We had to avoid water taxis and tour boats as we stayed close to the shoreline where we believed there would be more rubbish since the port was rather crowded. Numerous people were lying on the promenade while sunbathing, with their legs hanging over. Where there are people, there is rubbish, as Carstensen subsequently informed me.

I wasn’t expecting to see jellyfish, but we did since the water was so clear. However, I subsequently discovered that Denmark is home to a few common jellyfish species. I once came close to mistaking one for a plastic bag. Fortunately, I caught my mistake in time.

During my trip, I observed residents appeared more interested in the climate catastrophe and there was less plastic about than I’m accustomed to in the US. I asked Carstensen whether he thought Copenhagen’s water is so clean because of GreenKayak or because people there actually care about the environment.

Carstensen believes it is a mix of the two. GreenKayak also has an influence, he said. “Copenhageners are more mindful,” he said. “I can see how much rubbish we remove from Copenhagen’s port annually, so that must have an impact. People claim to see a change in certain places, which is quite encouraging.”

Even though our efforts may seem little, even tiny quantities of waste build up.

By the end of June, according to Carstensen’s estimate, GreenKayakers had removed 65 tonnes of garbage from bodies of water.

Given that not everyone weighs and records the garbage before it is sorted, recycled, and thrown away, he said that the true amount may be significantly higher — potentially even double or treble. Employees recycle as much as they can, said Carstensen.

The busiest months for GreenKayak, according to Carstensen, are July and August.

It seems like Carstensen is working on it. He said that he is eager to take GreenKayak to other places throughout the globe and that he is one day “dreaming about the US.”

I cringe to imagine how much rubbish I’d have to dig out of the Hudson or East River in my own city of New York.

I just know that I would need a lot larger bucket.

GreenKayak’s mission, according to Carstensen, is to increase public awareness of the impacts of the climate catastrophe among “those who live in cities and have a hard time seeing the situation with their own eyes.”

He continued by saying that he is proud of the fact that GreenKayak promotes environmental protection and engages more people in doing so.

I was obviously motivated and even upbeat about the future as I held a pail (half full) of rubbish.

And seeing another couple of passengers ready to board when we returned to Green Island gave me hope.