I've tried this and found it worked for a little white, but still had to dig through the bags to find what I needed and ended up digging all the same. I re-organized my bin with this Snap N' Stack 4 teir bin, and loved it! http://www.organize.com/utilitymed4.html

Can't you find something more environmentally friendly? This overuse of plastic bags is going to kill the planet. What about using twist ties or rubber bands and putting them in little baskets?

I've done this forever; I've never considered it particularly innovative or noteworthy.

i just did something similar with our "home improvement" box (i.e. hooks, sliders to put under furniture, random ikea parts, cord management stuff, etc).

hadn't thought about doing this to the "computer/cables" box, but def a good idea.

Ha! I have the exact same box, and it looks just like the first picture. I guess I'd considered it organized enough when I printed out the label for the front that said "Cords". Now...maybe not. :)

hahahaha
Step one: Put em in ziplocs.
Step two: You're done.

Love it! Real Simple's been inspiring me with ziplocks for years - I also store instructions/warranty info for new appliances or furniture in big gallon bags, and file them away. When I've had to sell a few pieces, it's been great to just hand off the bag too!

my problem with this is getting my household to put stuff back the way they found it in the first place! they can barely put it in the drawer let alone rubber band and put in plastic bags. ugh.

Clampers said it for me. I've been doing this for years, and never thought it was that particularly amazing. I even... wait for it... use gallon size ziplocs to organize my tupperware/gladware tops. Oooooo! I will go tell my husband that I am hot organized stuff now.

I also do something like this. I still wish there were a better solution for what to do with all those miscelaneous cords, chargers, instruction manuals, warranty cards, etc. that electronics come with. I have a big plastic bin filled with all that stuff, and it drives me crazy that I have to use closet space to store stuff like that.

Agree with Sydney - big whoop.

This overuse of plastic bags is going to kill the planet.

I think this is a great use of plastic bags, since in theory the bags will remain in use for years, possibly decades.

The real problem with plastic comes from items which are used briefly then discarded. If you really want to tackle the issues involved with plastic waste, concentrate on reducing the amount of plastic packaging you consume, first (and recycle as much of what's left as possible).

For example, I've stopped using liquid hand soap (plastic bottles) and I'm trying to find a bar shampoo I can live with. I'm also trying out Method's concentrated laundry detergent, which should cut down (dramatically) on the number (and size) of the laundry detergent bottles I go thru in a year.

Oh, one other big advantage to Ziploc bags - they're transparent. You can see what they contain without having to open them. That's a real plus when it comes to keeping your stuff organized. I recommend transparent plastic storage tubs for the same reason.

yes overuse of plastic bags.... why are you encouraging this? Tie with twine etc. Schizopgreenophrenia or something like that for apartment therapy to have re-nest and this stupid post.
Sunspot 42- the Seventh generation powdered soap is lovely if you want to quit the bottle all together. Keep in mind your plastic bags will take 700 years to go away- in the interim they get eaten by fish and then by us etc. Check out MidWAY PLASTIC POLLUTION- GOOGLE IT.
Before worrying about organizing your drawer think about how you are reorganizing the ecosystem
furthermore- plastics are petroleum products- and you are increasing our dependancy on foreign oil when you use plastics- they are incredibly hard to avoid in modern life - but folks we can do better!

Very well put profumodibergamo - you stated it much better than I did.
Here is a suggestion - http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/2010/02/guest-post-bethanys-jars.html
I use jars for storing all my desk things (pins, clips, pens, etc), small kitchen and bathroom things. I discovered that Bonne Mamam jam (my favorite jam) has a lovely jar with lid, the label washes off easily without leaving any stickiness and there is nothing on the lid. It may not hold all cables and chargers but larger sized mason jars would do that. And it is really much more environmentally friendly.

Sunspot, try Lush's bar shampoos. They work, smell fantastic, eco-friendly product, & come in a recycled/recyclable paper wrapper.

Profumodibergamo, because of your post I went out and burned a tire. keep it to yourself.

My suggestion is to at least buy _quality_ items that are built to last. I've made the mistake of buying cheap ziplocs and they break or wear out quickly.

If you use ziplocs for food storage, the quality ones can easily be cleaned or rinsed and reused scores of times.

As for the plastics points:

Reduction of our plastic consumption is important, being dogmatic and is going to turn people off (see ElevatorHappyFun's comment).

Remember how well abstinence education works for AIDS prevention? I think it's the same for any other cause.

The biggest source of plastic-bag pollution has this path: People everywhere put their kitchen waste into "kitchen catchers" or plastic shopping bags. Because it can get smelly or rotten, the bag is tied off and taken out to the bin almost every night. Multiply this daily routine by millions of households and you can see why the landfills are choking with plastic.

In the old days, food waste that could not be composted was wrapped in paper or else placed in an old coffee tin to be emptied that evening.

Multiple ziplocs for storage works for me. And yes, they can last for a decade or more.

For the kitchen, I use a plastic bag in the fridge to store food waste for several days or more. Sometimes I'll wrap the waste in a small paper napkin before placing it in the bag. My kitchen bin contains mainly non-food items and is only emptied when full.

Sunspot, try Lush's bar shampoos. They work, smell fantastic, eco-friendly product, & come in a recycled/recyclable paper wrapper.

Actually, I did try one of Lush's bar shampoos. After using it three days in a row last week my head started to itch somethin' fierce and still hasn't quite recovered.

But I'm sure there's an unscented, gentle shampoo bar out there for me . . . somewhere.

And I'm actually not terribly worried about the plastic that makes it into a landfill (or to a recycler). A bigger concern is all the plastic that DOESN'T make it to a landfill.

I have a container for my cords. It really involves a draw organizer that I already owned. Here's what it looks like: http://literallyorganized.blogspot.com/2010/02/tip-12-cords.html

Here's an idea instead of plastic:

I've a friend who uses old baby booties or socks to store all her wires and knick knacks. Its a great idea as babies grow out of their clothing so quickly! And it was really cute to open a drawer full of colourful stuffed baby socks =)