California

Dirty Beaches: New Report Shows Just How Much Trash is Left Behind

The Ocean Conservancy report tracked the amount of trash cleaned up on beaches around the world in a 24-hour period

A new report from the Ocean Conservancy shows just how much trash beach visitors are leaving behind in California and around the world.

The NBC4 I-Team was provided with the new report, which tracked the amount of trash cleaned up on beaches in a 24-hour period. In California, which has more than 800 miles of coastline, the items collected weighed an astonishing 840,000 pounds. Volunteers picked up more than 1 million pieces of trash in California -- more than any other state.

One thing immediately stood out.

"For the first time ever of the 33-year history, the top-10 most commonly found items on beaches around the world were all made of plastic," said Nick Mallos, of the Ocean Conservancy.

[LA GALLERY] PHOTOS: The Top-10 Most Common Trash Items Collected in One Day on Beaches Around the World

The No. 1 offender? Cigarette butts, which have small plastic fibers. Click on the gallery to see what else made the top-10 list. 

A new report from the Ocean Conservancy shows just how much trash beach visitors are leaving behind in California and around the world. The NBC4 I-Team reports for the NBC4 News Tuesday, June 27, 2018.
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