This long-term project from the Getty Conservation Institute aims to rapidly gather information on the properties of a wide range of plastics in order for conservators to understand why certain plastics are more unstable than others and to establish protocols that will slow down this process. It involves a large consortium of museums and research institutes, in order to maximize the impact of the research. The GCI's role will initially focus on assessing and testing the best methods for their analysis, especially for rapid, in situ monitoring of large collections; examining the physical and thermal properties of a selection of key classes of plastics, especially those known to exhibit instability (cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, polyurethane and PVC); and developing preventive techniques and strategies for preservation.