If you don't have a drawer full of old phone chargers and antiquated tech, then you must not be living in the 21st century. With the short life cycle of most tech, it's almost impossible to not end up with 10 chargers and cords for devices you no longer use. Good news: they can be reused or recycled.
Whatever you do, don't just throw this stuff away. Cords and cables can be just as hazardous as other ewaste if not handled properly. Here are three things you can do:
1. Find a recycling center.
The EPA allows you to search for stores in your area that take a variety of tech items. Their site is especially handy because you can also search by tech type, so if you have an old appliance you'd also like to get rid of, you can find a place to recycle them both. Best Buy stores across the US also offer ewaste recycling.
2. Donate to your local school or non-profit.
With so many kids using computers every day, cords get lost, misplaced or destroyed frequently. My mom is a teacher and says powerstrips, keyboards, printer cables, camera cables and flash drives are especially appreciated. One caveat: don't just drop off your pile of stuff. Be sure the things you give them still work. Call ahead and find out what the school can actually use — then pick through your stuff.
3. Swap via social media.
You may not be using your Casio camera anymore, but a friend might be. A simple note on Facebook or Twitter announcing that you've got some cords that other people might be able to use may yield more responses than you think.
(Photo Credits: Flickr users Nick McPhee and MightyOhm, licensed under Creative Commons)
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Yes, but what am I supposed to do with the hundreds of cables I have that have no known purpose? Those for which, I have no idea what technology they came with. Or even in which millenium I acquired them.
I'd love a crib sheet which allowed me to compare the cables I have with pictures so I knew what they were, at least.
Whoever decided it would be best (convenient?) to include RCA cables with all new VCRs, DVD players, etc. has my undying distain. And they can have my huge box of still-wrapped RCA cables.
Aww, I thought you were going to tell us how to upcycle them into beaded curtains or something.
hilarious! me too actually...
Tip: Join a local freecycle group and offer them up. Alternatively, join a local freecycle group and gather up everyone else's, then make a run to the local copper buyer.
haha I too wanted some hilarious cable craft, or maybe a coffee table styled out of cords?
If you were to make a post up at say, arstechnica, I think people would gladly identify your cables (and really enjoy doing so).
we have a local craftsman who turns all manner of tech "guts" and cables into other things. he makes a lot of desk and wall clocks for geeks, but also small goldberg machines and abstracted sculptures. i found hm in the local holiday handmade market. you might try looking at something similar in your own town, or the larger flea markets for someone else doing the same.
additionally, i have heard of the large, hmm, gathering, i guess, of tech nerds and computer hobbyists that's out in California somewhere. it's a huge group of folks who congregate on weekends at a sort of computer junkyard. they talk shop and trade parts with one another for whatever project they're working on. AND, the place takes donations.
you could search for it if yoyr in SoCal (which is huge, i know) or look for one near you.
oh! i think it's called "maker faire". we saw it in a documentary.
In my home a growing bag of cords has been waiting for a few years to be desposed of in an enviromentally friendly way. Recently while working on a sewing project I found a practical use of them. I didn't have the material for a strap for the purse I was making, it was in the evening, the local fabric/craft store was closed and I really wanted to finish my project that night. While rooting around in my work room I came across the bag of cords and had the idea of using a cord for the strap. It worked out really well.