from Slate -
Does Plastic Art Last Forever?
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Faced with a run-away effect of trying to preserve the "unpreservable", conservators working in this field could unwittingly be portrayed as eccentric or just plain out of touch. This is not helped by comments from well-meaning conservators, such as: "Everyone else in the world is trying to get rid of them and we're trying to preserve them."

Instead, conservators should face up to the reality of having to decide when something is not worth preserving anymore - as in when the costs outweigh the benefits (potential or otherwise). It is understandable that conservators would balked at having to make such decisions - which is why it is especially crucial and urgent to start the dialogue, starting in conservation training schools.
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