The Green Party wants to set up a nationwide "cash for trash" refund scheme for recyclable drinking cans and bottles.
The party announced a policy package today that would also impose an immediate 20-cent charge on single-use plastic bags and ban such bags altogether by 2020.
Community groups who carry out clean-ups of the coastline, bush and other areas, with the remainder funding research and development into plastic bag alternatives.
Greens leader James Shaw said a refund programme for cans and bottles would double recycling rates and create 2400 jobs - and save councils $26-40 million each year.
"Cash for trash refund programmes work with kerbside recycling to give people options and help keep recyclable waste out of landfills.