For every piece of electronics you purchase, there is normally a set of wires that comes with it, enabling you to enjoy the ingenuity and convenience of harnessed electricity. Then, one day on a trip, you might forget to bring the charger with you and grab one from the closest convenience store – hopefully, it is something as simple as a mini-USB cable or an iPhone charger, and not a computer charger that you have to spend hours looking for. Over the years, after enough travels or after needing to replace your computer, a headset, a speaker, and another couple of devices, you likely are not only left with a bunch of dead electronics lying around (read here why that’s a whole other problem in itself), but also with many cables. At best they are burrowed in a box, looking like a snake nest from an Indiana Jones movie, and at worst they become tripping hazards all over the house.
To avoid any accidents and clutter, below is some advice on how to best organize your cables and how to dispose of the ones you no longer need.
One of the best ways to keep your wire clutter and the need to purchase a randomly forgotten cable to a minimum is to keep your cables organized. Good organization may look different for different lifestyles, but the rule of thumb is the less you move your cables, the less likely they are to end up as clutter. So go ahead and:
Set up several charging locations in your household with the wires you might need. You could use produce ties to bundle the cables together and store them next to a plug and a charging base. Alternatively, there are full-blown cable boxes that reduce the visual clutter as well. You can also use beauty clutter to combat electronics clutter and use hair ties to hold the wires together.
Have a travel bag of cables: you could go minimalist and bring a Ziplock bag with you, or you could have a purpose-built organizer. This way, you are always ready to hop on the road, instead of trying to think through all the electronics that you might need for the trip. Alternatively, and to further reduce the number of cables you own, you could just move one of the at-home charging set-ups to a bag that you would take with you. Make sure that other members of your household approve though - you do not want to interfere with the flow of their day, and add annoyance to the sting of your absence.
And as you decide which cables to keep, make sure you discard any with compromised insulation - you want to avoid an accidental shock, and charging with a compromised cord could damage your device. For the wires that you choose to keep, to ensure that they last a while, always unplug by the head of the cable, not the cord, keep them dry and cool, do not bend them too tight, and wrap them properly.
Once you have consolidated the cables around a couple of strategic places in your home and have a travel case, you are likely still left with some that are not only no longer necessary, but you have no idea what they were initially intended for… So what to do? How to responsibly dispose of them?
Easiest of all: recycle them! Most electronics recycling locations accept wires too, so when you head to your local e-cycling spot to dispose of an electronic item you no longer need (never ever put electronics in household trash!), do not forget to grab any loose cables lying around. Most local electronic stores will also recycle electronics and wires for you – try BestBuy or Target near you.
Secondly, if you have an artistic streak, you can upcycle the old wires lying around. Jewelry, decorations, and many other uses just need a bit of Googling, time, and curiosity! Or start here for some initial inspiration.
Once you’ve responsibly disposed of the no longer needed cables, all you need to do is remember to think of the wires when you decide that you are no longer going to use a piece of electronic equipment. When retiring an item, store it with the wires that it came with – you can simply use scotch tape, the box that it came with, or a Ziplock bag. That way, it is easier to sell (which is one of the most responsible ways you can discard an item) and donate. Some good options to find takers for the items you no longer need are Craigslist, eBay, Freecycle, and your community message board!
Do you have any tips for allowing your wires to live their best lives? Share them with us here and download our Savvee for Android and iOS to make sure that every product lives its life to the fullest!
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