Plastics challenge – Textiles and microfibers

The program will fund projects that proposed solutions to the challenge of plastic waste from textiles and microfibers in Canada:

1. Demonstrate how the solution improves the collection, processing and/or recycling of plastic waste from textiles and/or improves the design of textile products to reduce the shedding of microfibers into the environment,
2. Be informed by science, be evidence-based and consider environmental, social, and economic impacts, and
3. Describe the proposed technology/solution, how it compares to current practices, and explain its benefits and drawbacks throughout the entire life-cycle (i.e. from input, production, use, and waste).
4. In Phase 1, outline the expected percentage reduction in plastic waste from textiles the solution will provide (either by improving the collection, processing and/or recycling of textile waste and/or designing textiles to reduce microfiber shedding). In Phase 2, demonstrate this reduction in plastic waste through a prototype.

In addition, the proposed solutions should:

1. Improve design of textile products to limit microfiber shedding, and/or
2. Improve design of textile products to facilitate collection and recycling, and/or
3. Improve technologies for collecting, processing and recycling plastic textile waste, and/or
4. Allow for easy integration into existing supply chains, if applicable.