C2C Care #MayDayPrep 2022 Sustainability as Disaster Preparation
Channel: AIC & FAIC
Date: 2022-07-21

The practice of adopting sustainable practices for cultural institutions has become an increasingly relevant topic in recent years. But what can small and mid-sized organizations do to adopt actions, even small ones, that can play a role in mitigating the climate crisis and preventing climate-caused emergencies? Closing out a month of #MayDayPrep C2C Care has asked speakers from various organizations to share ways that their institutions are developing practices in disaster preparation all based in sustainable practices.

Sustainable Salvage: How to reduce the environmental impact of your emergency kit with Lorraine Finch
To be sustainable our attitude to stuff, including that in emergency kits, needs to change to refuse, reduce, reuse and recycle. How do we do this with our emergency kits? Sustainable salvage has the answers! During this section Lorraine Finch will guide you through six simple actions you can take to improve the sustainability of your emergency kit and as a result reduce the impact of your kit on the climate and the environment.

Implementation of sustainability practices in collections spaces for small and mid-sized with Crista Pack
Climate and environmental changes have altered communities across the world. Museums and cultural sites are becoming more responsive around environmental sustainability due to the negative impact of climate induced disasters. Crista Pack will highlight the sustainability journey of the Missouri Historical Society and strategies that the organization implemented to lessen their environmental impact while focusing on the preservation of cultural heritage. Mitigation strategies can be implemented within large and small cultural sites to decrease the negative impact of climate induced disasters affecting cultural heritage sites and materials.

Cost-Efficient and Environmentally Responsible Preservation Methods for Preparing Paper-Based Objects for Transit and Display with Al Carver-Kubik
It is commonly accepted that the proper crating and packing will prevent disaster in transit when objects are vulnerable to incorrect temperature, RH, and handling. While some materials used to protect paper-based objects in transit can be reused, many are not reusable or recyclable, producing a significant amount of non-biodegradable waste. Al Carver-Kubik will share field survey results from the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) IMLS grant funded project currently in progress to determine the most cost-efficient and environmentally responsible methods of preparing paper-based collection objects for transit and display while maintaining preservation standards.