The NSW government will scuttle the latest bid to ban single-use plastic bags and instead release a discussion paper on "tackling plastic waste".

The government will vote to reject Labor's bill, which has already passed the upper house, when it comes before the lower house later this month.

Single-use plastic bags have been banned already in Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, ACT and the NT, with Victoria set to follow next month.

Environment Minister Matt Kean said the government would continue to pursue its own "comprehensive plastics plan" that would "look at plastics more broadly".