NEW YORK, March 1 (Xinhua) -- A ban on single-use plastic bags officially took effect in the U.S. state of New York on Sunday, though the state will wait until April 1 to penalize stores that violate the ban.

Shoppers can now carry their own reusable bags, or pay a five-cent fee on a paper bag, according to the new law.

Some plastic bags, including those used for take-away food, uncooked meat, and prescription drugs, are exempt from the law.

A similar ban has been in effect in the states of California and Oregon. All counties of the island state of Hawaii also ban plastic bags, although it's not state-mandated.

On Friday, New York's Department of Environmental Conservation said that the state has agreed to delay the enforcement with monetary penalties till April, after a lawsuit was filed challenging the new law.

An association of small bodegas and a manufacturer of plastic have lodged the lawsuit, calling the ban unconstitutional, local media reported.

The state legislature passed the ban last April as the annual consumption of plastic bags statewide has amounted to some 23 billion, clogging up landfills and accumulating in streets and seas.