I've been reading the discussions on the longevity of resin coated papers with interest and share some of the concerns; although according to the current opinions plastic in landfills should be around for centuries, virtually unchanged. It occured to me that is film not merely silver emulsion coated on a plastic base, albeit of a different structure than paper resin? The longevity of negative material never seems to be mentioned and, to me, this would be far more important than any print.

-- Andy Laycock (pbrlab@unixg.ubc.ca), October 24, 1997

Answers

"Is film analogous to 'plastic' paper"

The biggest threat from RC paper, besides its unattractive presentation, is yellowing and cracking of the plastic coating. I have some RC prints from just a few years ago that show rather severe yellowing, but none that are cracking. Plastic film base, if cared for should last indefinitely. However, on the subject of plastic in land fills, if left outdoors, and especially when exposed to UV light, plastic breaks down rather rapidly, 3-5 years. My research shows that plastic (and other photo related 'pollutants') is not nearly the threat to the planet that the enviro-kooks claim. In reality, photography is an uncommonly eco-friendly process. There is a much greater threat from the 'toner'in digital prints than from chemicals used in photography!

-- Michael D Fraser (mdfraser@earthlink.net), November 26, 1997.