Preserving plastics: assessing plastics deterioration + 9/11 disaster response collection [the 9/11 memorial & museum will undertake an implementation phase of a two-part stewardship project for all…

The National Endowment for the Humanities awarded the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center $700,000 on January 1, 2026, under the Promotion of the Humanities Division of Preservation and Access program (CFDA 45.149) for an implementation phase of stewardship activities on plastic and plastic-containing artifacts in the 9/11 disaster response collection.

The recipient will conduct testing and clearing of contaminated artifacts, perform visual plastic identification, create digital 3D modeling of at-risk objects, and rehous the most deteriorated pieces. A comprehensive condition assessment will enable the museum to minimize its carbon footprint and establish sustainable strategies to guide future collections activities. The project runs through June 30, 2028, with work performed in New York. The artifacts in scope carry direct personal connections to 9/11 victims and survivors; many represent the last remaining trace of individuals whose remains were never recovered. This work addresses an under-researched intersection of plastic degradation and disaster response collections in the context of mass violence and physical catastrophe.

Preserving plastics: assessing plastics deterioration + 9/11 disaster response collection [the 9/11 memorial & museum will undertake an implementation phase of a two-part stewardship project for all plastic and plastic-containing artifacts in the collection. This includes testing and clearing of contaminated artifacts, visual plastic identification, and digital 3D modeling and rehousing of the most at-risk objects. A comprehensive condition assessment will allow the museum to minimize its carbon footprint and implement sustainable strategies that will guide future collections activities. This project is particularly resonant for these human-linked objects, most with direct personal connections to 9/11 victims and survivors and many, representing the last remaining trace of people whose remains were never recovered. The compounded issues of plastic degradation and objects which convey the contextual trauma of mass violence and physical catastrophe comprise an under-researched area of disaster response collections likely to become more prevalent.]