SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- A California bill banning plastic and styrofoam takeout food containers is generating controversy between environmentalists and family-run businesses, NBC11's Mike Luery reported.

"The overall goal is to protect our marine ecosystem here, to protect our waterways, to protect our beaches, from the onslaught of pollution that comes from containers that we don't need to be using," said Los Angeles assemblyman Mike Feuer.

The bill would phase out non-recyclable food containers by the year 2012, and impose penalties on restaurants that don't comply.

"We're hoping to see waste, litter, marine debris waste, that's coming from land cut in half as a result of this," said Mark Murray of Californians Against Waste.

Although the legislation has support from assembly Democrats, there is significant resistance from restaurant owners who fear this bill will be bad for business.

Owner of family-owned Asian food restaurant Kee's Express, Thao Vue, said that replacing his styrofoam takeout containers would force him to raise prices.

"I have to pay more for the better stuff if they don't want me to use the one that I'm using right now," Vue said.

Feuer said it would be only pennies more -- but the California Restaurant Association argues the bill goes after the wrong target, Luery reported.

"It also doesn't address the true crime of littering. It places the burden on restaurants where we should be focusing attention on the people who are throwing away the containers and such," said Lara Diaz Dunbar of the California Restaurant Association.

Some California cities, including San Francisco and Oakland, have already begun phasing out styrofoam food containers that are not recyclable or compostable.

The hearing are scheduled to begin in April.