The Courtauld Sustainability in Conservation Series

Introducing the UK Museums and Heritage Sustainable Packing Group – Lynne Harrison ACR FIIC

The UK Museums and Heritage Sustainable Packing Group aims to establish new sustainable standards for packing and transporting artworks in order to support loans, exhibitions and collection movement being as sustainable as possible. As a network we work collaboratively and efficiently by pooling resources and expertise across UK institutions and working with external partners. We examine the materials we currently use as well as alternative materials and approaches to packing to find combinations that reduce waste and allow reuse and recycling.

Recycling in the conservation studio – Jessica Crann ACR and Wendy Millward-Woodiwis

This will be a 2-part talk concentrating on the research Jessica and Wendy did during 2022, examining how and whether conservators were currently recycling their gloves and did they have a wish to? This led to a scientific investigation of Oddy testing nitrile gloves in current use, methods of recycling and comparing conservation with other organisations such as the Royal college of Nursing who also use a lot gloves. From this study we have written and published “The Handy Glove Guide” which is available in the Icon website for anyone to use, describing what all the various symbols on a box of gloves actually mean from being safe to use when working with mould through to EU standards of safety, which we will also share. The second part of the talk will concentrate on recycling a large portion of polyester shrinkwrap used to protect railway collections that had to be stored outside at the museum Locomotion in County Durham. Did it work and what did the conservation department subsequently do with it in the pursuit of sustainability?

4 Feb 2025
18:00 - 19:30
Free, booking essential
Vernon Square Campus, Lecture Theatre 2

More information: https://courtauld.ac.uk/whats-on/sustainability-in-conservation/