Sustainable materials use and disposal (conservation of cultural heritage)

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In the field of conservation and restoration of cultural property, greening practices such as sustainable materials use and disposal aim to improve the sustainability of conservation practice by choosing materials and methods that have a lower environmental impact and disposing of materials responsibly. When carrying out conservation treatments or preventive conservation, conservators use resources such as consumable materials, energy and water. These resources have an impact on the environment both through their extraction and disposal. In order to reduce this impact, conservators can choose sustainable alternatives to existing materials and practices such as reusable or recycled materials or materials with reduced toxicity.[1]

Re-use of Materials[edit]

Where museums cannot completely reduce their use of materials or replace materials with sustainable alternatives, material re-use is an option for extending the useful lifetime of conservation materials. Durable materials used in conservation such as Tyvek or Mylar may be washed and re-used where appropriate. Polyethylene foam may be blended and used as a fill material for object cushioning.[2][3] Materials may be exchanged with local community organisations such as schools or art centres to extend their life where they cannot be appropriately used in a conservation setting. Professional networks such as American Institute for Conservation and organisations such as KiCulture and Sustainability in Conservation offer tips for material re-use.

Green Solvents and Chemicals[edit]

Conservators regularly use chemicals for treatments such as cleaning. These chemicals may have adverse human or environmental impacts during their production, use or disposal. By applying two of the principles of green chemistry, namely, using safer chemicals and finding safer alternatives to chemicals, conservators can reduce the impact of conservation processes.[4]

Research continues into alternative chemicals to replace industrial solvents and biocides. Alternatives such as tea tree oil and zosteric acid have been tested as a method for reducing mould growth for outdoor stone heritage and indoor storage areas.[5][6] Materials such as tea leaves have been trialled as alternatives to chemical adsorbents for reducing moisture and acetic acid vapours in the storage of cellulose films.[7]

Reducing reliance on chemicals by adopting alternatives to solvent cleaning can be beneficial for reducing energy use and reducing risk for both people and heritage objects. Replacing solvents with gel systems that utilise enzymes for surface cleaning is one means of reducing stains and residues.[8][9] Laser cleaning offers a solution for cleaning of many hard surfaces.[10][11]

Packing and Transport[edit]

The transportation of cultural materials nationally and internationally can involve significant resource use, from carbon footprints associated with air and road travel and the materials used to safely pack cultural objects for transport. Conservators have investigated sustainable packaging solutions, including re-using housing crates, reducing the quantities of materials used and opting for recycled or eco-certified products. A 2011 study at the National Museum of Wales found that the carbon footprint associated with international transport of materials can be reduced by re-using wrapping and packing materials, leasing and re-fitting packing cases, prioritising sea and rail freight, sharing couriers and strategically planning exhibition schedules, amongst other strategies.[12]

Waste management[edit]

At the end of their useful life, the environmental impact of conservation materials may be reduced by disposing of them responsibly. Engaging in a waste audit within a conservation lab or organisation can be a useful way to track what waste is generated and where.[13] In a waste audit, waste is kept on site for a pre-determined period of time and then laid out on a plastic sheet and sorted to assess material types and waste flows. This data can be used to assess the effectiveness of sustainable improvements by carrying out a subsequent audit once solutions have been implemented.

Some conservation materials may be recycled, depending on municipal guidelines. Materials that cannot commonly be recycled locally, such as nitrile gloves or soft plastic, can be recycled through commercial services such as TerraCycle.

Life Cycle Assessment[edit]

Life Cycle Assessment has been somewhat applied for measuring the environmental impact of conservation materials to aid in sustainable decision-making. Life cycle assessment calculates the environmental impact of materials, for example energy, water use or greenhouse gas emissions across their lifetimes, from raw material extraction to disposal. As a holistic methodology, life cycle assessment considers a wider range of environmental impacts when compared with other similar methods such as carbon footprints and can be used to holistically identify 'hotspots' in environmental impacts.

The usefulness of LCA for assessing the impacts of conservation materials and chemicals.[13][14] Members of the American Institute for Conservation have led a project investigating life cycle assessment in an American conservation context.[15] The results of LCA have been used to achieve sustainable improvements in lighting, packing and museums loans. A key outcome has been the development of a carbon calculator and library of case studies based on life cycle assessment results.[16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ de Silva, Megan; Henderson, Jane (2011-03-01). "Sustainability in conservation practice". Journal of the Institute of Conservation. 34 (1): 5–15. doi:10.1080/19455224.2011.566013. ISSN 1945-5224. S2CID 191612605.
  2. ^ admin. "Simple sustainability practices in Conservation – What can you do?". Australian Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Material. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
  3. ^ O´Dwyer, Dervilla (2010). "The Contribution of Conservators to Sustainability at the National Maritime Museum, UK". Studies in Conservation. 55 (3 (2010)): 155–158. doi:10.1179/sic.2010.55.3.155. JSTOR 42751710. S2CID 194057860. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  4. ^ "12 Principles of Green Chemistry". American Chemical Society. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
  5. ^ "New Environmentally Friendly Approaches against Biodeterioration of Outdoor Cultural Heritage". air.unimi.it. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
  6. ^ Gatenby, Sue; Townley, Pat (2003-12-01). "Preliminary research into the use of the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree oil) in museum conservation". AICCM Bulletin. 28 (1): 67–70. doi:10.1179/bac.2003.28.1.014. ISSN 1034-4233. S2CID 192053151.
  7. ^ Bell, Julianne; Newnham, Mick; Nel, Petronella (2017-07-03). "Tea: An Alternative Adsorbent for the Preservation of Cellulose Triacetate Film". AICCM Bulletin. 38 (2): 103–113. doi:10.1080/10344233.2017.1402413. ISSN 1034-4233. S2CID 139556081.
  8. ^ Edmonds, Penny; Horton-james, David (1991-12-01). "Enzymatic Breakdown and Decolourisation of Black Fungus Embedded in Acrylic Paint: A Progress Report". AICCM Bulletin. 17 (3–4): 53–61. doi:10.1179/bac.1991.17.3-4.006. ISSN 1034-4233.
  9. ^ Cremonesi, Paola (2013). "Rigid Gels and Enzyme Cleaning", in Mecklenburg, MF, Charola, AE, and Koestler, RJ (eds), New insights into the cleaning of paintings: Proceedings from the Cleaning 2010 International Conference, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia and Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, pp. 179–183, accessed 3 November 2021, https://repository.si.edu/handle/10088/20507
  10. ^ Rode, Andrei V.; Baldwin, Ken GH; Wain, Alison; Delaporte, Philippe H (2006-12-01). "Ultrafast lasers for conservation of heritage artefacts". AICCM Bulletin. 30 (1): 17–26. doi:10.1179/bac.2006.30.1.003. ISSN 1034-4233. S2CID 137342868.
  11. ^ Sawicki, Malgorzata; Bramwell–Davis, Victoria; Dabrowa, Barbara (2011-12-01). "Laser cleaning from a practical perspective: Cleaning tests of varied gilded-wood surfaces using Nd:YAG Compact Phoenix laser system". AICCM Bulletin. 32 (1): 44–53. doi:10.1179/bac.2011.32.1.007. ISSN 1034-4233. S2CID 136713052.
  12. ^ Lambert, Simon; Henderson, Jane (August 2011). "The carbon footprint of museum loans: a pilot study at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales". Museum Management and Curatorship. 26 (3): 209–235. doi:10.1080/09647775.2011.568169. ISSN 0964-7775. S2CID 145008084.
  13. ^ a b Brophy, Sarah S.; Wylie, Elizabeth (2013-03-21). The Green Museum: A Primer on Environmental Practice. AltaMira Press. ISBN 978-0-7591-2322-9.
  14. ^ Balliana, Eleonora; Ricci, Giulia; Pesce, Cecilia; Zendri, Elisabetta (January 2016). "Assessing the value of green conservation for cultural heritage: Positive and critical aspects of already available methodologies". International Journal of Conservation Science. 7: 185–202. ISSN 2067-533X. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  15. ^ "Life Cycle Assessment Project - Wiki". www.conservation-wiki.com. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
  16. ^ "STiCH". stich.culturalheritage.org. Retrieved 2021-11-10.
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