By Ian Bush

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A Philadelphia company makes ‘trashy’ clothing — but it’s not what you think. They’re helping to keep our water clean.

It’s no fashion faux pas to wear United By Blue’s t-shirts, hoodies, bags, and jewelry.

“We put design and quality at the forefront.”

Founder Brian Linton says (via Skype) people buy their products sometimes without even knowing the benefit.

“In just over a year, we’ve removed over 80,000 pounds of trash from 60 cleanup locations across 15 U.S. states and one international location as well.”

Every sale equals a pound of trash removed from oceans, rivers, and creeks — including in our own backyard.

“We’ve done about 20 of the 60 cleanups in Philadelphia. Both of those big rivers [the Schuylkill and the Delaware] and then also some smaller places, like Cobbs Creek.”

The company recruits volunteers and scales their trash collections to make the biggest impact.

“The Philadelphia cleanups are sadly some of the more disgusting ones. A lot of clothing that’s really not something you want to touch — a lot of soiled stuff. A lot of disposable diapers.”

And plastic bottles — thousands and thousands of them.

The company recruits volunteers and scales their trash collections to make the biggest impact.

The idea, Linton says?

“We are all united by water.”

And keeping it clean helps keep us alive.

Go to UnitedByBlue.com for more information.