However, the coast of California is rapidly generating islands the size of Texas made entirely of plastic. Apart from destroying the scenic beauty of the west coast, plastic bags are polluting beaches, killing birds, fish, and marine animals who mistake them for food, and disrupting the ocean’s food chain.

Here are three alarming facts about the effects of plastic bags in the ocean:

* According to Ocean Conservancy, plastic bags are the most common item found in coastal cleanups.

* According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, plastic bags are suffocating living corals.

* According to Algalita Marine Research Foundation, plastic causes concentration of hydrophobic elements like DDT and PCB in the oceans, creating floating toxic pills for marine life.