But that's getting fixed in a way you wouldn't expect.
14 billion pounds of trash get dumped into the ocean every year; everything from plastics and aluminum to glass and tires.
But there is a local clothing company trying to change that one sale at a time. And it all starts with you.
It can be a messy job, but Brian Linton is on a dirty mission to keep the city clean.
"To be perfectly honest, Philadelphia is a very dirty city, and that doesn't come to very many people's surprise," says Brian Linton. "Unfortunately, we do have a big trash problem."
Linton along with a group of volunteers at Bartram Garden, put on their gloves, rip off a trash bag and head out to pick up what someone else dumped one piece at a time.
It is part of a larger concept by Linton. A Temple grad, he is the founder of United by Blue, an organic apparel brand with a focus on all things aquatic, and helping the cause starts with you the consumer.
Since the company started back in May 2010, United By Blue has picked up more than 82,000 pounds of trash all over the world.
In our area, more than 20,000 pounds of garbage have been removed from local waterways like Cobbs Creek, the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers.
And the funds for these cleanups all begin when you purchase a 100% organic stonewashed t-shirt, canvas or tote bag, or a piece of jewelry from their vintage collection.
If you are really down with this eco-cause, you can buy an organic item online, and when you are ready to check out, you can select the actual location you would like your purchase to cleanup; right along with the color and size of your trendy new digs.
Here are a few things you can do to help the eco-cause: come out to cleanup, or buy a product and cut down on single use plastics.
And for more ways to help stop water pollution, visit the United By Blue website.
http://www.unitedbyblue.com/