the Refusarium

Classification System: To organize these shoreline artifacts, the Refusarium mirrors a geological stratification (layers) and material composition to categorize items by their persistence in the environment.

 

Epoch Code] - [Material Class] - [Decay Tier] . [Specimen Number]

Example: AN-PLA-03.042

 

1. Epoch / Stratum (Where/When found)

• AN (Anthropocene): Surface finds, modern sand / shoreline topsoil.

• SU (Sub-surface): Buried, excavated, or marine sediment.

• UR (Urbanized): Fused with concrete, asphalt, or infrastructure.

 

2. Material Class (Composition)

• PLA: Polymers and Plastics (synthetic sheets, microplastics, containers).

• MET: Metallurgy (aluminum cans, steel fragments, alloys).

• GLA: Vitreous / Glass (silica-based shards, intact vessels).

• GEO: Plastiglomerates (trash naturally fused with rock, sand, or organic matrix).

• SYN: Synthetic Textiles (nylon, polyester, blended fibers).

 

3. Decay Tier (Persistence Level)

• Tier 01 (Daily-scale): 1 – 30 days to degrade (e.g. New biodegradable bio-plastics, papers…).

• Tier 02 (Monthly-scale): 1 – 12 months to degrade (e.g. Natural fibres, cardboard…).

• Tier 03 (Yearly-scale): 1 – 50 years to degrade (e.g. Leather, foil wrappers, chewing gum…).

• Tier 04 (Century-scale): 50–100 years to degrade (e.g., thin plastics, tin).

• Tier 05 (Multi-century): 100–500 years to degrade (e.g., aluminum, thick polymers).

• Tier 06 (Millennial-scale): 500–1,000+ years (e.g., heavy monofilament, Styrofoam).

• Tier 07 (Deep Time / Permanent): Effectively non-biodegradable (e.g., glass, high-grade ceramics).