A local nonprofit is warning about the effects littering can have on the environment.

Norwalk River is littered with trash, including hairspray, food wrappers and plastic bottles.

"An issue of out of sight out of mind and people tend to care a lot more about it when it's something that they're seeing regularly," said Emma Deloughry, associate sound keeper with Save the Sound.

It is a common and persistent issue nonprofits like Save the Sound have been working to tackle, and understanding how litter can clog our lives is a good starting point.

"Maybe blowing off a landfill or it blowing into the street, then it enters our tributaries and that eventually enters the Sound, which is going to eventually enter the Atlantic Ocean," said Deloughry.

Littering in Connecticut is illegal and punishable by a fine between $35 and $90.

"Working to reduce your personal consumption of single-use plastic, and another thing you can do if you're motivated to go out and do cleanups is to join any type of cleanup efforts," Deloughry said.

Volunteers from a local campaign called Keep Norwalk Beautiful say they've been removing trash in areas around the city twice a week since January. They plan to tackle this specific area on Earth Day starting at the Norwalk River Rowing Club. For more information, click here.