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.
