Los Angeles plastic bag ban takes effect January 1, paper bags cost a dime each

As of Wednesday grocers will no longer provide plastic bags for their shoppers as a new law will ban the items.

Customers will have to bring their own bags, buy reusable ones or purchase paper bags for 10 cents apiece.

Big retailers like Walmart and Target are also impacted by the ban.

Environmental groups have been pushing plastic bag bans both internationally and in the U.S. The African nation of Rwanda became the first country to ban such plastics in 2008, and Haiti followed suit in 2012, extending the prohibition to polystyrene foam cups, plates, trays and other containers. Mexico City and Toronto are among the largest cities abroad to impose bans.

Supporters claim the bags end up in the ocean and the debris injures or kills wildlife such as birds, turtles or other marine life.

In Los Angeles, businesses that fail to comply with the law would face a fine of $100 after the first violation, $200 after the second and $500 after the third. Fines would be imposed for each day the violation continues.

A ban at the state level narrowly failed, but by 2014, at least 30% of California’s population will be covered by laws regulating plastic and paper bags, according to state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), who has tried to take the effort statewide.