http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/research/new-economic-study-shows-marine-debris-costs-california-residents-millions-dollars

New economic study shows marine debris costs California residents
millions of dollars

AUGUST 12, 2014 -- Marine debris has many impacts on the ocean,
wildlife, and coastal communities. A NOAA Marine Debris Program economic
study released today shows that it can also have considerable economic
costs to residents who use their local beaches.

The study found that Orange County, California residents lose millions
of dollars each year avoiding littered, local beaches in favor of
choosing cleaner beaches that are farther away and may cost more to
reach. Reducing marine debris even by 25 percent at beaches in and near
Orange County could save residents roughly $32 million during three
months in the summer.

In order to better understand the economic cost of marine debris on
coastal communities, the NOAA Marine Debris Program and Industrial
Economics, Inc. (IEc) designed a study that examines how marine debris
influences people?s decisions to go to the beach and what it may cost
them. We selected Orange County as a study location because beach
recreation is an important part of the local culture and residents have
a wide variety of beaches from which to choose, some of which are likely
to have high levels of marine debris.

http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/sites/default/files/MarineDebrisEconomicStudy.pdf