Premier Denis Napthine is quietly lobbying his NSW counterpart to join forces with Victoria to consider a cash-for-cans scheme across several states.

High-level talks between the Premier's office and the O'Farrell government have taken place in recent weeks in a bid to garner support for a container deposit system, despite ongoing industry resistance. If such a plan were to be implemented, consumers could receive a 10¢ deposit for every can and bottle they returned to a recycling depot, as they do in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Dr Napthine says he is ''enthusiastically supportive'' of the idea, but believes it would only be cost-effective if at least one other major state signed on.

''We in Victoria are very much at the forefront of trying to get a national system of container deposit legislation, and we'll do everything we can to get that as a national approach,'' he said.

Container deposit legislation will also be on the agenda at a meeting of environment ministers in April. But the issue is contentious, partly because support varies between jurisdictions and partly because of the widespread opposition from industry.