Fund biodegradable textiles and tires
Sign on the House of Commons websitePetitioners ask the Government of Canada to integrate microplastics into federal plastics strategies and CEPA listings, and to fund sustained R&D and commercialization programs for truly biodegradable textile fibers, dyes and tire particles.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would target major microplastic sources by promoting truly biodegradable textiles and tires, reducing long‑term environmental and human exposure from fibers and tire wear.
- Funding R&D and commercialization could build domestic IP and biomaterials supply chains, positioning Canada as a leader in post‑plastic technologies.
- Clarifying CEPA listing and embedding microplastics in federal plastics strategies would give regulators clear authority to manage pollution pathways and monitor progress.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Developing truly biodegradable fibers and tires at scale may require substantial public funding and long timelines, so costs and near‑term benefits are uncertain.
- Biodegradable alternatives might not yet match performance, durability or safety, creating trade‑offs that could shift environmental impacts rather than eliminate them.
- Expanding CEPA listings and launching sustained programs is complex and could divert attention from feasible near‑term measures like filtration, waste reduction or product standards.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
Petition to the Government of Canada Microplastics are ubiquitous across Canadian ecosystems, treated drinking water, wildlife, food and human tissues; By carrying or releasing hazardous chemical additives and sorbing chemicals and pathogens from the environment, microplastics expose ecosystems and people to particles and associated chemicals cumulatively, a particular concern for children and future generations; Laundering of synthetic textiles and tire wear are the two most significant sources of microplastic pollution (up to 65%); Although a fraction of microfibres can be captured through filtration, residual microplastics will remain in both water and the biosolids that are subsequently applied to agricultural fields, so that microfibres can only be wholly eliminated if textiles are made truly biodegradable; and Canada has the opportunity to be a global leader in the research and development of truly biodegradable materials and technologies that wholly eliminate microplastics. We, the undersigned, People of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Integrate and emphasize microplastics and their pollution pathways into federal plastics strategies and action plans, and strengthen or clarify Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) authorities under the listing of the toxic substance Plastic Manufactured Items (PMIs); 2. Enable Canadian intellectual property and biomaterial supply chains to dominate in a post-plastic world by funding and incentivizing Canadian research, development and commercialization of truly biodegradable textile fibers and dyes and prioritize transparency to the Canadian public on plans, progress, timelines and outcomes; and 3. Establish a sustained federal research and innovation program to enable the production and use of tires that yield only truly biodegradable, non-toxic particles, with clear pathways from proof of concept to field testing and commercialization.
Government response
No government response is available yet.