Big business has escaped a mandatory regime on reducing packaging waste and the harmful chemicals they contain for another year.
The plastic waste crisis will continue after the federal government failed to lock in an extended producer responsibility scheme, Greens spokesperson for waste and recycling Peter Whish-Wilson said on Wednesday.
He accused federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek of "choosing her signature move of kicking the can down the road" instead of locking in a binding scheme.
"Plastic waste is causing significant environmental and human health issues, and we've known for decades the only way to solve these issues is to regulate the plastic packaging producers," Senator Whish-Wilson said.
"It is absurd that our waste reduction targets are not legally binding ... to end the plastic waste crisis, we need to change the system that creates it."
Australia uses more than six million tonnes of packaging every year at a rough cost of $15 billion, mostly paid for by consumers, with almost half ending up in landfill.
"We are stuck in an endless loop of bureaucracy with no action or movement to invest and create green jobs in the economy," Waste Management and Resource Recovery Association of Australia chief executive Gayle Sloan said.
"We have so far failed to harmonise what can go on a shelf ... yet they celebrate plans on how we can harmonise what goes in a bin," she said.
Work was underway to make kerbside recycling and waste collection more consistent across Australia, Ms Plibersek said after environment ministers met for the last time this year on Tuesday.
Many local councils will progressively introduce consistent bin lid colours, cut waste sent to landfills, and provide clear information about what can and can't be collected and recycled.
State and territory environment ministers, except Queensland's Andrew Powell who was appointed in November under the new LNP government, have agreed on a stronger national action plan on waste and updated guidelines to manage dangerous forever chemicals like PFAS.
The commonwealth will consult further with government and industry on new guidance to improve the "recyclability" of packaging and push for stronger targets to manage waste.
Recyclability requires the deliberate design of cartons and other packaging for reuse and recycling, and companies will be responsible for how they make products and what happens after the consumer has used them.
In 2023, Ms Plibersek said voluntary targets adopted by some in the industry were not enough and slammed the former coalition government for ignoring calls to step in and set mandatory targets.
"There were expectations that promises of action and regulation would finally come to fruition," Ms Sloan said.
