Kestomuoveille

Kestomuoveille is a small, uninhabited island located in the Gulf of Finland, part of the Archipelago Sea between Finland and Estonia. The island is situated in the municipality of Pargas (Pargas in Swedish), in the Southwest Finland region of Finland. Kestomuoveille is notable for its unique name, which is derived from the Finnish words *kesto* (meaning "duration" or "lasting") and *muovi* (meaning "plastic"), combined with the suffix *-eille*, indicating a diminutive or locative form. The name likely refers to the island’s use as a floating plastic waste collection site in the 1970s and 1980s.

Originally, Kestomuoveille was a temporary platform constructed to manage plastic waste from ships in the region. The platform was anchored in place and served as a collection point for plastic debris before it could be transported for disposal. Over time, the island became a symbol of environmental efforts to address marine pollution, particularly in the Baltic Sea. Due to its temporary and functional nature, the island was never permanently developed, and it remains largely unchanged since its operational days.

Today, Kestomuoveille is a historical curiosity rather than an active site. It is accessible only by boat and is not part of any official tourism infrastructure. The island’s significance lies in its role as a reminder of early environmental initiatives in Finland, particularly in the context of waste management and maritime pollution control. While no longer in use, it continues to be referenced in discussions about the history of waste disposal practices in the Baltic Sea region.