As owners and collectors of art and cultural heritage every individual is responsible for the condition, preservation, and thus the value, of his or her design items. Experience in museums and with collections has shown that objects made of plastics degrade more rapidly than objects made of traditional materials such as metal and wood. For this reason objects made of plastics are usually replaced more quickly and are often considered as having a lower consumer value. Axa Art and the Vitra Design Museum have made it their task in their joint project to develop the techinical conditions for the conservation and restoration of design items made of plastic. Initial results of this project are presented here for the benefit of collectors.
