{"id":81721,"date":"2022-08-04T07:58:54","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T07:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.emst.gr\/?p=81721"},"modified":"2022-10-10T08:16:06","modified_gmt":"2022-10-10T08:16:06","slug":"waste-inheritance-report1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.emst.gr\/en\/blog-en\/waste-inheritance-report1","title":{"rendered":"Waste (Inheritance) #Report1"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Grief.<\/strong> Scientists who study environmental change have been most prone to eco-grief, a new category of sorrow. But I think we all understand the loss. \u00a0Now most people can notice the cascade of changes nakedly- without access to data, or specialized tools to measure, visualize and map. We see it daily in the news and increasingly in our own communities. We have really made a mess of things.<\/p>\n

Anger. <\/strong>We have really made a mess of things and continue to do so. Our seeming lack of interest or inability to self-correct is unacceptable. I want to do better to protect my child, the children, and uncountable numbers of sentient, non-human life forms. I assume you want to do better too.<\/p>\n

Activism.<\/strong> This blog provides information and updates on the action Waste<\/em> (Inheritance)<\/em>. While we rework all of my family’s trash into something I will try to carry, we learn how much potential still exists in trash. We learn of the energy and labor that produced it that is still somehow embedded within its material. We also are learning about the legacies of toxicity that exist throughout its lifecycle, even as “trash.” Finally, as we digest 2021’s trash, the trash from 2022 only grows, and so we see clearly the limitations of recycling. How, instead, to confront the source of accumulation and not only the results? My hope is that this process allows us to visualize the trash we produce from many perspectives.<\/p>\n

Art. <\/strong>At the same moment, we can see the mass of trash as a storage problem, as archaeological evidence, as economic collateral damage, and as potential, shame, and existential threat. Generating massive amounts of trash is an ongoing social practice. The materials used for this work come from what we might consider to be our collective sculptural accomplishment. If we confront it as sculpture, we might allow ourselves, individually and politically, more creative ways to consider the problem. We need to look deeply both at the materials and beyond them\u2026to the psychological and systemic processes that lead to them.<\/p>\n

The materials research and sculptural experiments are greatly advanced by the hard work and ingenuity of artists Nadia Elgazar (plastics), Vaggi Sekif\u03bfu (masks and #7 category plastics \u2013 in other words, a large category of mixed plastics that are often not recyclable), Petros Tatsiopoulos (aluminium and other metals), and Nori Tsouloucha (paper and waxed paper). They will each also contribute a blog entry on their particular area of research.<\/p>\n

The sculptural design has the primary objective of me being able to carry the load of one year’s trash. We need to make something strong. Subsequent concerns relate to where different materials are carried on the body structurally, energetically, and in terms of potential toxicity. We will also consider how best to carry this in our psyche. In our collective unconscious. The grief and guilt might take you down before the weight does. How shall we support ourselves?<\/p>\n

Please follow along with our process. We appreciate if you share any insights on the individual materials or the construction.<\/p>\n

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* Recycling codes on plastic indicate 7 types of plastic:<\/p>\n

#1 PET \u2013 Polyethylene terephthalate, recyclable, often for clear food-related products. Initially it was thought to be quite safe, recent studies indicate potential contaminants and the presence of microplastics in our food products. (See https:\/\/www.cleanwateraction.org\/2020\/07\/29\/bottled-water-human-health-consequences-drinking-plastic)<\/p>\n

#2 HDPE, – high density polyethylene, recyclable. A strong, durable plastic frequently used in laundry or shampoo bottles. It lasts a long time, filling up landfills if not recycled.<\/p>\n

#3 PVC \u2013 polyvinyl chloride, sometimes recyclable. This is a usually rigid plastic often used in plumbing pipes, some bottles, building materials, toys, and credit cards. In its soft form, it is used in water-proofing applications and coatings. PVC is considered highly toxic. (See, among many other articles, https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/6360677\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n

#4 LDPE \u2013 Low density polyethylene, recyclable. A durable but soft plastic often used in elastic-feeling bags like those that surround aluminum cans or for large garbage bags or clingwrap. In its more solid form, it is used in toys and bottle caps.<\/p>\n

#5 PP \u2013 Polypropylene, recyclable. Used as packaging for chips and biscuits, in cereal boxes, and plastic diapers. It is used in some ropes and fabrics. In its more rigid form, it is used in dairy containers, reusable food containers, straws, bottle caps, plant pots. Polypropylene breaks down easily into microplastics and can be found in oceans, soil and in our bodies.<\/p>\n

#6 PS \u2013 Polystyrene \u2013 sometimes recyclable, but usually only in custom facilities This is the foamy type of packaging often used for take-out food. Polystyrene contains materials with known toxicity, like benzene and styrene, that can leach into the food and drinks it comes in contact with. It also breaks down into tiny beads that are easily ingested by animals and fish.<\/p>\n

#7 Other\u2026 This overly large category can contain biodegradable, recyclable and non-recyclable materials including combinations of materials (both products made of multiple types of plastic or of plastic bonded with aluminum or paper) and any of over 4000 other types of polymers.<\/p>\n

One last note for those plastics that are able to be recycled\u2026plastics cannot be endlessly recycled. They become more brittle each time they are recycled. Ultimately, they will all end up as microplastic. The only way to stop the build-up of plastic is to stop the production of plastic.<\/p>\n

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