Make the pledge to push for system change with CoSphere.
Create an account to join and begin connecting with our community.
Why Join?
Why Join?
Plastic Sunset
Turning the Tide on Microfiber Pollution.
Plastic Sunset is a youth-driven campaign inspired by research identifying key opportunities in Canada to improve management of plastics. Our first focus is on microplastics, where we’re mobilizing Canadians via education campaigning and public petitions (Federally, as well as across British Columbia and Ontario) to push for stronger government action.
To start off a broader series of petitions and public education efforts we submitted an Environmental Petition alongside a growing coalition of 18+ aligned organizations on World Ocean's Day, June 8th. The petition outlines the broader context of the plastics issue and presents nine co-developed questions calling on the federal government to take action. Responses from relevant federal ministers, coordinated through the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, are required within 120 days.
Read our Op-Ed, in The Hill Times, here.
Use the menu, below, to learn more about our work and explore resources and ways to get involved.
Plastic Sunset brings together a diverse and growing coalition of organizations and advocates working across youth engagement, social and environmental justice, pollution prevention, freshwater and ocean conservation, terrestrial ecosystems, education, and more. By connecting people and organizations across these intersecting fields, we are building a united voice for ambitious action on plastic pollution, Canadian leadership in innovation, and a healthier, more just future for people and the planet.
Our Coalition
Environmental Petition
In June 2026, the Plastic Sunset Coalition submitted a federal environmental petition calling for stronger action to address microplastic pollution in Canada, particularly pollution originating from synthetic textiles and laundry appliances.
Our petition calls on the federal government to:
-
Integrate microplastics and their pollution pathways into Canada's national zero plastic waste strategy.
-
Phase out non-biodegradable synthetic textiles and dyes through collaboration with manufacturers and trading partners.
-
Improve wastewater treatment to capture microplastics and address contamination from biosolids.
-
Require built-in microfiber filters in all new washing machines and dryers sold in Canada by 2029, alongside public education initiatives.
-
Strengthen federal regulatory authority by considering the addition of microplastics to Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).
The petition was directed to several federal ministries, including:
-
Housing and Infrastructure
-
Agriculture and Agri-Food
-
Health
-
Environment, Climate Change and Nature
-
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities
-
Fisheries and Oceans?
-
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
-
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
What's next?
Federal responses are due by October 21, 2026. We have begun receiving responses and will review them collectively to assess the government's commitments, identify gaps, and determine next steps.
We plan to share our findings publicly and across our coalition, potentially through a joint opinion piece, to build momentum for meaningful federal action on microplastic pollution.
Stay tuned for updates following October 21!
Plastic Sunset has officially launched our federal electronic petition, which will be submitted in February 2027, alongside a complementary paper petition. By using both formats, we aim to maximize reach and accessibility, with a goal of collecting 500+ signatures on each petition.
Our efforts extend beyond seeking legislative responses. We believe direct civic engagement, particularly among youth, is essential to building lasting environmental change. People of all ages can sign, provided they can supply the required address information. Every signature helps demonstrate growing public concern and demand for action.
Our electronic petition calls on the federal government to:
-
Integrate microplastics and their pollution pathways into federal plastics strategies and strengthen or clarify regulatory authority under CEPA.
-
Invest in Canadian innovation to develop and commercialize truly biodegradable textile fibers and dyes.
-
Advance research and solutions to prevent tire-wear pollution, including particle capture and safer materials.
Our paper petition calls for federal regulations requiring all new washing machines and dryers manufactured, imported, or sold in Canada to include microfiber filters with a mesh size of 100 µm or smaller by 2030.
Together, these petitions build on our broader advocacy efforts, sending a clear signal to decision-makers: the evidence is mounting, public interest is growing, and Canadians are calling for meaningful action on microplastic pollution.
Federal Petitions
E-Petition + Paper
Provincial Petitions
British Columbia + Ontario
Alongside our federal advocacy, Plastic Sunset is advancing provincial petitions in British Columbia and Ontario, calling for stronger action to prevent microfiber pollution at its source.
By working across multiple levels of government, we aim to demonstrate widespread public support and bring plastic pollution onto the legislative agendas of different political bodies. Meaningful action can take many forms and occur across jurisdictions, and each petition helps build a stronger public mandate for change.
Our British Columbia petition calls on the provincial government to:
-
Require all new washing machines and dryers sold in BC to include built-in microfiber filters with a mesh size of 100 µm or smaller by 2030.
-
Apply extended producer responsibility to clothing manufacturers and retailers to help manage the costs of filtration technology.
-
Protect BC's watersheds, Southern Resident killer whales, salmon, shellfish, and other culturally and ecologically important species from microfiber pollution.
Our Ontario petition calls for similar legislation requiring built-in microfiber filtration in all new washing machines and dryers sold in the province by 2030, helping protect the Great Lakes, drinking water supplies, and human and ecosystem health.
Together with our federal petitions, these efforts demonstrate that addressing microplastic pollution is a shared responsibility across governments. By mobilizing communities and young people across provinces, we are building the public support needed to make plastic pollution prevention a political priority at every level.
Resources
Below are resources the Plastic Sunset team has made to help accomplish our shared goal of seeing the “sun set” on microplastics.
You’ll find information and educational resources about Plastic Sunset and our campaign, printable petition sheets, eligibility guidelines for signing, and instructions on where and how to send them.
Project Brief
.png)
Need some extra assistance or clarity? We want to support you!
Please email us at contact@cosphere.net with any questions or concerns, and we will happily set up a virtual meeting.
What's My
Microfiber Footprint?
1. What type of washing machine do you use?
2. What percentage of your laundry loads use cold, warm, or hot water?
50%
25%
25%
Cold
Warm
Hot
3. What percentage of your laundry loads are small, medium, or large? (Small ≈ ⅓ full, Medium ≈ ½ full, Large ≈ ¾ full)
50%
25%
25%
Small
Medium
Large
4. What percentage of your clothes are new / lightly worn, moderately worn, or heavily worn?
(New / Lightly Worn = < 4 washes, Moderately Worn = < 7 washes, Heavily Worn = 7+ washes)
50%
25%
25%
New / Lightly Worn
Moderately Worn
Heavily Worn
5. How often do you do laundry in a typical month?
Your Microfiber Footprint is...
Moderate
Your average load of
laundry produces:
In one year,
this amounts to:
0.0
0.0
mg of microfiber*
g of microfiber*
That's approximately
credit cards
15
OR
worth of plastic every year.
†