Pressure is mounting on the Federal Government to take leadership on Australia's recycling crisis and devise a national plan to prevent the industry's collapse.

Key points: Greens releasing policy platform to solve recycling problem, in what they say is a "federal policy vacuum"

Greens releasing policy platform to solve recycling problem, in what they say is a "federal policy vacuum" Plan would phase out single-use plastics, improve plant technology and give Clean Energy Finance Corporation money to mandate waste management

Plan would phase out single-use plastics, improve plant technology and give Clean Energy Finance Corporation money to mandate waste management It will be put to state energy ministers on Friday

The Greens have released their own policy platform, which they hope will be adopted at a meeting of state and territory environment ministers on Friday.

Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, who chairs a Senate inquiry into recycling, said the Greens push came in response to a federal policy vacuum on the crisis.

"To be completely blunt, the shit is hitting the fan with recycling around this country," he said.

"We need to take action. No more talkfest from the Federal Environment Minister, tomorrow's time to put up solutions, to put up funding."

The Minister, Josh Frydenberg, said the Government was taking the national lead to tackle issues in the waste industry.

"[This includes] through the product stewardship program, the phasing out of microbeads, the National Market Development Strategy for Used Tyres and the National Food Waste Strategy," Mr Frydenberg said.

"We're working closely with the states and territories to assist the waste and recycling industries to identify the products that China will no longer accept and to investigate alternative markets for our recyclable waste."

Plan would target plastics, boost funding and technology

Senator Whish-Wilson said the Greens policy provided funding pathways necessary to establish the national waste plan, which was devised by local, state and federal governments with the environment movement more than a decade ago.

"This is 16 policies that they wanted implemented, out of those 16 policies, virtually none have been implemented by any federal government in the last 10 years," Senator Whish-Wilson said.

"The ones that have been implemented have been poorly funded or a couple of them have been scrapped."

The Greens are proposing enhanced technology and sorting processes at recycling plants and for $500 million to be put aside by the Federal Government to go to the Clean Energy Finance Corporation to mandate waste management.

The party also wants a national mandatory product stewardship scheme to encourage manufacturers to make recyclable products, a phase out of single-use plastics and community grants to encourage recycling.

Senator Whish-Wilson said China's ban on importing some of Australia's kerbside recycled waste had created a juncture where the recycling industry could either be reformed, or slip towards meltdown.

"We actually need to look at how we make recycling sustainable in Australia, and that's going to take significant investment and some time," he said.

"But if we get it right, then we will be self-sufficient, we will have a resilient recycling industry and create thousands of new jobs."

States want more help from Federal Government

Some state environment ministers attending Friday's meeting are relieved the waste and recycling issue is on the agenda, and have also called for more leadership from the Federal Government.

An idea to help curb the recycling problem has seen transparent wheelie bins hit the streets of Perth. ( Supplied: Mindarie Regional Council )

Victorian Environment Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said the state was already investing in keeping the industry afloat.

"The Commonwealth can play a very significant role if it chooses to and thus far it has been absent," Ms D'Ambrosio said.

"They need to articulate what they can do as a government, as a procurer of products and as an investor in major projects … to help to drive new markets and grow existing markets for the use of recycled products.

"But it's also about reducing waste created in the first place."

Ms D'Ambrosio said the Victorian Government had already forked out millions of dollars to help local governments continue kerbside recycling for the foreseeable future.

But she said she was disappointed that Mr Frydenberg had not done more to help as Federal Environment Minister.

"We only get responses that it's a matter for local governments and state governments, well that doesn't cut it," Ms D'Ambrosio said.

Some Queensland councils have even threatened to shut down recycling services, and state environment minister Leeanne Enoch also wants the Federal Government to step up.

"To co-invest with states and industry to set up the kind of infrastructure we need to support circular economy," Ms Enoch said.

"From the creation of a product to end of life, [we need to] find use for it all the way through.

"[So] that there is actual dollar value in the use, reuse, repurposing, redirecting of an item right through to the end of life.

"That economy is what we are seeing in other countries."