Green Tea

What happens when man-made materials in the archaeological context are agents of deterioration themselves?

Prof John Schofield talks to Lindsey about his research in York, England studying the impact of microplastics on archaeological sites and its implications for future studies. The presence of micro and nano-plastics in rainwater means that plastics are omnipresent throughout the planet. As contemporary archaeologists work with sites of the “familiar past” the impact of plastic pollution has to be considered: it’s led to a shift in questioning how their deterioration is going to impact the information gained from in situ sites. They discuss the challenges that cultural heritage professionals face while embarking on new paths of research concerning toxicology.

Resources:

Through "A Green New Deal for Archives", Eira showcases how by looking at the past, we can project a manageable way forward towards mobilizing a sustainable workforce within the cultural heritage field, to benefit all communities around the US. Many archival institutions - formal or grassroots - are understaffed to handle current needs, let alone to be successfully adaptive to future climate change impacts. She breaks down with Roxy, why formal policies focused on labor growth, increased funding for safe stewardship of communities' historical records, and a pivot from perceiving climate impacts according to state borders to watershed regions are integral steps to a sustainable future.

Resources referenced in the show:

Soraya Alcala of the MFA Houston joins Roxy for a conversation about her institution’s involvement in the multinational project: HORIZONS Greenart. MFAH joins the TATE, LACMA and the MET in a crowd-sourcing experiment of new materials for paintings, paper, and objects conservation, often trialing the same treatment on works by the same artist.

From establishing a collective agreement on the meaning of a ‘green’ solution to sharing feedback for the research and development team, she describes the value found in networks, collaboration, and clear communication. Soraya and Roxy excitedly discuss what it is like being on the assessment team of the project, reformulations of past recipes for gels vs brand new ones, and when the greater conservation field will have access to these trialed materials for their own labs.

"I firmly believe that we, as cultural heritage conservators, must not just acknowledge the issue but actively embrace sustainable thinking and work practices. It's not just a professional statement; it's a commitment that the conservation community needs to embrace to the extent of its possibilities. It's incongruous for me to spend my professional life trying to slow down the degradation of human artifacts, testimony of our culture and history of humanity on this planet, and at the same time deny the care of the planet. Museums, as cultural and educational institutions, have the potential to be the leaders in implementing more sustainable practices and showing more care for the planet." - Soraya Alcala

Resources from this episode:

Greenart Project

Greenart LinkedIn

CSGI

Go Green Conservation

Moxy

AIC 2024: "A Darkened Canvas and a Mysterious Hand: Analytical Investigation and Sustainable Approaches to the Cleaning of Morris Louis ‘Slide’ (1962)"

TATE

LACMA

Answer the poll if you’d like to hear Soraya return with an update on a future Green Tea episode.

Our understanding of preventive conservation can often be an underutilized asset for collecting institutions. As the climate continues to change and impact our spaces, we must be adaptable and that starts with being well-informed.

Conservators can be the data collectors concerning collections' spaces and their climate, but aren't often involved in the mechanical side of our climate maintenance. Adrienne Bell's experience showcases why conservators should have an active relationship with facilities staff and how this relationship can create big picture change for their institution. She talks to Roxy about the challenges that come from interdepartmental communication without a common language and how open dialogue and a willingness to learn from mistakes is all it takes to create an effective and efficient team.

For additional resources:

As climate change continues to increase the intensity and quantity of natural disasters per year, museums and other cultural heritage institutions need to be informed and proactive about the future. Building upon our field's emergency response knowledge, conservators can utilize their skills beyond the bench and take active roles in the safety and resiliency of the institution and their communities.

The Climate Resilience Resources (CRR) project is the first action item of Held in Trust, a four-year cooperative agreement between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC). Held in Trust brought together hundreds of conservation and allied professionals and communities to explore the state of preservation and conservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage in the United States. The report, released in June 2023, made recommendations for the future of the field across these areas.

Stephanie Schapiro, project lead of CRR, explains why these specific resources were developed and what challenges they faced collecting the crucial data that the resources rely on. Joining Stephanie, Kate Macuen and Jose Marchand-Sifre offer their experience trialing the resources and the insights they gained from applying them to their local institutions and communities.

Community engagement, proactive planning, and collaboration proved to be pivotal in building successful resilience strategies. We encourage you to take a look at the resources, including the Hazard Risk Assessment Map, to help you better understand the context which your institution is a part of and what action steps you could do to mitigate negative repercussions and preserve our planet as well as cultural heritage.

Since 1921, Trefler Restoration has focused on the maintenance and longevity of historic and sentimental objects for individuals and institutions alike. While their priority of maintaining as much of an original piece remains, they've branched out into creative ways of thinking about reuse and modification for future generations.

Head Furniture Conservator, Bernard Murphy, and Projects Manager, Allison Cook, talk to Roxy about the potential extended life to be found in used and loved antique furniture. In the conservation world we're familiar with the concept that many objects live lives well beyond their makers or primary owners. Compare this to the "Fast Food Furniture" of today which is easily accessible but often not meant to last more than one household's use. In this age of over consumption and mass production, Bernard argues that there's a place for "reincarnation of furniture" and how it can lead to not only a less wasteful existence for objects but a fuller appreciation for craftsmanship and the quality of materials.

Exhibits produce a significant amount of waste over a short period of time often due the prioritization of custom mounts which cannot be reused. However for objects of similar size and proportion, like books, modularity and simplicity are not only possible, but ideal when it comes to mounts. Thermoplastics like acrylic and PETG are standard materials for cradles used by most museums and libraries exhibiting books. These costly one-offs often can't be recycled by most local municipalities. So instead of creating waste with every exhibit, reusability is key.

Alessandro talks to Roxy about his rationale for developing the Modular Book Cradle System and why it is advantageous for mitigating plastic waste and saving institutions time and money. As more institutions adopt the system, there will be more uniformity in how books are exhibited, which can make inter-institutional loans even simpler and less wasteful.

For more information, including schematics and instructions, please contact Alessandro directly.

Sources from Alessandro:

Source about 5% recycling in the US: "Anelia Milbrandt, Kamyria Coney, Alex Badgett, Gregg T.Beckham, ‘Quantification and evaluation of plastic waste in the United States’, Resources, Conservation and Recycling 183 (2022)."

On November 15th, 2022, protestors from Last Generation targeted Klimt’s painting Death and Life as part of their performative activism, exclaiming:

“We have known the problem for 50 years. We must finally act. The planet is becoming ruined…Agriculture will no longer work…or do we continue to destroy our world with fossil fuels. Death or Life, that is the decision we have to make now.” (Youtube-generated captions translated to English.)

Roxy talks with Carina Korab and Sandra Dzialek from the Leopold Museum in Vienna, Austria about their emergency preparedness and response to the activism in the gallery. While not every museum will face the sticky situation of the 'ominous black sludge', it is likely that many will face the very real threat of environmental disasters upon collections in the coming years. Carina and Sandra explain navigating the media's response to the event and how being prepared as a group made handling the disaster more manageable than expected.

Resources:

In 2018, the United States landfilled over 146 million tons of waste which included almost 60 million tons of plastics, glass, metal, and paper. Compare this to the 69 million tons of material that was recycled in that same year. When it comes to the well known phrase 'Reduce, Reuse, Recycle', many of us only think of recycling but it's clearly not the answer to our waste problem. Accessible recycling of most materials varies from place to place, city to city, state to state and 'wish-cycling' leads to contaminated batches of recycled material. Bexx Caswell-Olson, from the Northeast Document Conservation Center in Massachusetts, speaks with Roxy about her experience navigating common waste streams in her local area. Small, intentional and creative choices done collectively within an institution can lead to impactful change.

Remember the five r's are just the beginning: reduce, reuse, recycle, rehome, repair, rot (compost), etc., I'm sure you can think of more.

Waste Stream Resources from Bexx:

Earth 911 - https://earth911.com/

Website with recycling resources and advice.

Terracycle – https://www.terracycle.com/

Paid recycling programs include gloves, electronics, media storage, textiles, and more! Can provide recycling solutions for materials that can’t be recycled locally.

Kimberly Clark Right Cycle - https://www.kcprofessional.com/en-us/solutions/rightcycle-by-kimberly-clark-professional

Recycling for gloves and other PPE.

Cibra Solutions, WeRecyle – https://www.cirbasolutions.com/packaging

Mail-in battery recycling.

Buy Nothing Project – https://buynothingproject.org/

Give away usable furniture and supplies within your local community.

Staples - https://www.staples.com/stores/recycling

Recycles batteries, electronics, printer and toner cartridges. Can drop-off locally.

NexTrex - https://nextrex.com/

Directory of businesses that will accept plastic bags and plastic film for recycling through NexTrex’s program.

"'I cannot do all the good that the world needs. But the world needs all the good that I can do.' - Jana Stanfield."

The climate crisis is impacting the entire globe and it's through collective action that we can create lasting momentum towards mitigating our negative impact. But where does one get started? Caitlin Southwick joins Roxy for a conversation about her experience searching for, and eventually developing, communities of change-makers that have had a global impact over the last few years. Excitedly, she tells us about the success that is possible when people get together, determined to make lasting change. Whether it be locally or online, there are many avenues to participate in collective action, and we hope that you're encouraged to do all the good that you can do.

Links from Caitlin:

International Climate Control Conference Recording on our YouTube Channel - Day 1 and Day 2

Climate Control Program - 20.000 EUR for the full 18 month program

Individual Membership - Ki Futures individual memberships start at 50 EUR / month

Socials for Ki Culture : | LinkedIn | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | WDHT

(WDHT = We Don't Have Time: a social media platform for climate change!)