Can you recycle cables

And you probably have a drawer dedicated to old, useless cables. Face it, you are never going to use them again, despite what the tinkerer or hoarder in you says.

So what do you do when it's time to clean out the drawer? In honor of Earth Day, here are some options for recycling or reusing old cables. Make a few phone calls to nearby troops or high schools to see if they are in need of some older cables or wires. They very well may not be so outdated for educational purposes.

One of the easiest ways to recycle any old electronics, including cables and chargers, is through Best Buy. Every Best Buy location in the US has a kiosk for recycling just inside the door. Cables are often referred to as cords and are usually found outside a device, such as the power cord for your washing machine or the tail end of a surge protector.

All variations of wire and cable contain valuable internal components. But there is a difference between these two types of data-transferring materials, and it usually affects their value. Since cables consist of groups of wires, they will typically contain more copper. When comparing a wire and cable of the same length, a cable will most likely yield a higher payout when recycling. Bonus Tip : the plastic or rubber sheathing around cables is not valuable for recycling.

Maximize the return on your wire deposit by stripping the sheathing yourself. In , Apple switched to using a Lightning connector cable. Thus, cables produced before this year cannot be used with any new Apple device.

As a result, the old device, and charger, will never be used again. Charger cables are notoriously easy to break. Even expensive ones have a painfully short life. Often, they are left behind and lost: at university , shopping centres , days out and on buses, trains and planes. Did you know that chargers and cables are the 3rd most commonly lost items on university campuses? Therefore, lost property offices receive high numbers of chargers.

When not returned to owners, dispose of your chargers safely and sustainably. Full information can be found here. WeeeCharity are committed to recycling e-waste responsibly in the UK. Arrange a collection of any type of electronic waste through an online form here. They accept computers, laptops, telephones, mobile phones, iPad, tablets, a range of components, cables and plenty more.

Find the full list of items here. Verdict: Great for any number of different electronic and electrical items. They operate all over the UK. Fundamentally, the root of the e-waste problem is that we live in a throw-away society, whereby intense consumerism drives our behaviour. Recycling locator. Where to recycle cables and leads. Why recycle cables and leads? Cables and leads are valuable Copper, aluminium, even gold are used in cables, leads and wiring.

Before you recycle old cables and leads Think about repairing, passing them on or even selling them. Repair cables and leads A soldering iron or screwdriver may be all it takes to repair a broken cable or fit a new plug to a power lead.

Repair electronics. Donate old cables and leads Some charities will accept chargers and leads in working order for resale or recycling. Donate electrical goods. Recycle cables for cash Car boot sales, local networks or online marketplaces such as Gumtree and Ebay are all worth checking out.