Samantha Blackwell, Chloë Chang, Kevin Landrini, and Clare Price

Samantha Blackwell, Chloë Chang, Kevin Landrini, and Clare Price are graduate students at the University of British Columbia. They also co-lead the ‘Plastic Sunset’ initiative of CoSphere, at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability.

Plastic sunset: Canada has a generational chance to protect the oceans while boosting the economy

Today’s solution is for this country to mandate that laundry appliances include a built-in microfiber filter—like a lint trap for your washer that captures up to 90 per cent of fibers at the source. Oregon, California, and Ontario have proposed such legislation, and it’s already law in France.

opinion | BY SAMANTHA BLACKWELL, CHLOë CHANG, KEVIN LANDRINI, AND CLARE PRICE, KAI CHAN | June 4, 2026