Scientists learning to conserve older plastics article on Nat Geo.

[flutterscotch]

https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/preserving-plastic-art-spacesuits-science/?user.testname=photogallery:2 Enjoy keeping up on the race to preserve plastics. I feel like it might be relevant to some of us, just a bit.

[banditpony]

I feel like this sums it up

plastic objects often aren’t designed with longevity as a goal

I definitely rethink having toy collections because of this issue.

[tulagirl]

I feel like this sums it up

plastic objects often aren’t designed with longevity as a goal

I definitely rethink having toy collections because of this issue.

Yes this is very true and something that has been on my mind quite a bit lately.

[Leave a Whisper]

Erm I don't think that's what the environment really needs right now.

[ringwraith10]

That's really interesting. It looks like a lot of the information they share in that article is stuff the pony community has already discovered through trial and error. For instance:

Some of these plastics will dissolve under particular cleaning products, and some are more vulnerable to cracking.

It will be interesting to see how they preserve these plastic artifacts through the next few decades.

[Annichen]

Great ! I just went on a rant regarding this topic as it's been bugging me as a archivist for soooo loooong   

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Yes!  I hoped this topic would be brought up again   I think I linked you to the exact same article in another thread....

[achab1984]

I cant stand all of this one time use plastic we have in this world! I wish I could never buy anything in plastic anymore. But I cant being where I live.   Its hard to be different!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I cant stand all of this one time use plastic we have in this world! I wish I could never buy anything in plastic anymore. But I cant being where I live.   Its hard to be different!

It takes time and creativity to decide to use different storage methods.  I recently saved all my food jars (for like a month, LOL) and I painted their lids and sealed them.  Now they are all color-coordinated to my kitchen and I can use the bulk foods store.  My kid is a picky eater and she is heavily influenced by food marketing (like all kids) so I am trying to eliminate the plastic packaging.  Seriously, if a snack comes in an orange wrapper and another brand of the same snack is also in red, and she LIKES the design of the red one, if you offer her an orange-wrapped snack, not a red one, she thinks it's a different snack and won't touch it.  Goodbye logos and colorful boxes! 

[achab1984]

I cant stand all of this one time use plastic we have in this world! I wish I could never buy anything in plastic anymore. But I cant being where I live.   Its hard to be different!

It takes time and creativity to decide to use different storage methods.  I recently saved all my food jars (for like a month, LOL) and I painted their lids and sealed them.  Now they are all color-coordinated to my kitchen and I can use the bulk foods store.  My kid is a picky eater and she is heavily influenced by food marketing (like all kids) so I am trying to eliminate the plastic packaging.  Seriously, if a snack comes in an orange wrapper and another brand of the same snack is also in red, and she LIKES the design of the red one, if you offer her an orange-wrapped snack, not a red one, she thinks it's a different snack and won't touch it.  Goodbye logos and colorful boxes! 

Oh yes those companies sure know how to market to kids! Its sad when I think about it now as an adult! Yes I love to use my older jars also! I have all my noodles in jars and recycle all the boxes they come in. I don't like to buy them in plastic bags. I wish we had one of those bulk stores like some other countries do! Those zero waste stores look so neat!

[banditpony]

I wish we had one of those bulk stores like some other countries do! Those zero waste stores look so neat!

I mean, there's places in the US that have bulk stores.. so it depends on where you live in the US.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Oh yes those companies sure know how to market to kids! Its sad when I think about it now as an adult! Yes I love to use my older jars also! I have all my noodles in jars and recycle all the boxes they come in. I don't like to buy them in plastic bags. I wish we had one of those bulk stores like some other countries do! Those zero waste stores look so neat!

Take a look and see if any of these places are nearby your monthly shopping stock-up
https://www.litterless.com/bulk-food-guide/south-dakota/