LONG BEACH, Calif. - Long Beach grocery stores, big-box retailers and big drugstores can no longer hand out plastic bags, KTTV reports. The ban began August 1.

Customers who don€™t bring reusable bags with them will be charged a dime for each paper bag. Unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County enacted a similar ban July 1.

On January 1, the ban expands to include smaller stores, such as neighborhood markets, convenience stores, liquor stores, farmers markets, pharmacies, and sandwich/coffee shops. Some Long Beach supermarkets are giving away reusable bags to help with the transition.

Portland, Ore., recently voted to ban plastic bags at certain stores, effective October 15. Earlier this year, Oregon lawmakers did not take action on a proposed statewide ban on plastic bags at retail. Last September, California rejected a similar ban.