Despite the lofty rhetoric regarding co-ordination in the NPP, the regulation of plastic in Australia continues to be sporadic, inconsistent and incomplete. As with the other co-ordination initiatives set out in the NPP, it is unclear how the Federal Government aims to promote consistency in these measures across jurisdictions. In the meantime, states and territories take their own approaches with varying degrees of commitment and success. This runs contrary to the government's stated plans to support a national circular economy. For instance, the NPP endorses the CSIRO's National Circular Economy Roadmap for Plastics, Glass, Paper and Tyres: Pathways for Unlocking Future Growth Opportunities for Australia (the Roadmap) as a way for governments, industry and researchers to inform future decisions on investment, policy developments and research priorities. Similarly, the RWR Act has as one of its core objectives "to develop a circular economy that maximises the continued use of products and waste material over their life cycle and accounts for their environmental impacts". At its core, the concept of a "circular economy" responds to the need, in a more sustainable society, to efficiently and effectively use resources so as to provide societal value over a longer time period and with minimised environmental impact.54 The NPP and the RWR Act both state that they seek to achieve this goal, as do the varying approaches of the states and territories. However, the piecemeal approach to regulation is ill-suited to promoting the necessary shift in industry and broader community practice regarding the development, use and re-use of plastics in Australia. It is, therefore, not surprising that efforts such as the NPP continue to receive a mix of reactions. It was heavily criticised by Labor's assistant environment spokesman, Josh Wilson, who claimed that the plan failed to provide national leadership and was out of step with state and territory plans. Conservation groups have also warned that the largely voluntary packaging and recycling targets must be mandated.55 While the RWR Act now authorises the government to include mandatory targets through the Product Stewardship provisions, it is unclear when these mandatory provisions will be activated and for what purpose. If the NPP is any indication, there continues to be a reluctance on the part of the Federal Government to adopt a mandatory approach, with most efforts aspirational in nature. As a result, many of the programs that are directly applicable to consumers and industry continue to be taken at a state and territory level with differing levels of commitment.
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