Surf City Bag Ban Begins Nov. 1, 2013 Photo: A farmers market in Long Beach where small vendors may still use plastic bags, even though the city has a bag ban ordinance. For those who LOVE their plastic bags, plastic Arrowhead water bottles, plastic juice and milk containers, changes are coming your way in Surf City. Only one type of plastics will be taken away--grocery store bags! You can still find plastic pet waste bags in dispensers throughout Huntington Beach, plastic bag dispensers for raw meats, fruits & vegetables 'in stores and still purchase plastic trash bags. The City of Huntington Beach Reusable Bag Ordinance takes effect November 1, 2013 and will effectively remove most plastic grocery store bags. Some call them saints, and others think their they are creating a "nanny state" but whatever your opinion, the City Council majority voted to ban plastic bags in favor of paper bags or reusable carryout bags. To date, HB is one of around 80 cities and counties in California banning these items. The ordinance requires certain types of stores to charge for paper bags --10 cents will be initial fee. If you're looking for plastic bags, you better stock up now! It isn't illegal to take your own plastic bags into a store, and plastic trash bags haven't been outlawed so you could also buy them in bulk and take them with you to the store when shop. If you are looking for places to shop that still permit plastic, neighboring Fountain Valley, Newport Beach, Seal Beach and Westminster are several options. California's state regulators recently failed to create a statewide plastic bag ban. Huntington Beach Bag Ban Prohibits Bag Distribution in these retail stores: Full-line, self-service retail: A store with gross annual sales of two million dollars ($2,000,000), or more, that sells a line of dry grocery, canned goods, or nonfood items and some perishable items (i.e. Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Target); Large Retail Store: A store of at least ten thousand (10,000) square feet of retail space that generates sales or use tax pursuant to the Reusable Bag Ordinance and has a licensed pharmacy; or Drug stores, pharmacies, supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience food stores, food marts, or other entities engaged in the retail sale of a limited line of goods that includes milk, bread, soda and snack foods, including those stores with a Type 20 or 21 license issued by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (i.e. CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Albertsons, Ralphs, Vons, 7-11 and other convenience or liquor stores).