If You Can't Repair, Reuse

Our house is significantly clutter-free. Every few months, my family looks around to see what we do not need or use any longer. We categorize these items into three groups: donations for  charities, the Reuse Centre or an Eco Station. 

Before making a decision on an item, we ask “can it be repaired, reused or recycled?” Phones, computers, CDs, light bulbs and cables are tricky items to know what to do with. Does this sound familiar? Do you feel the same way?

E-waste can be very harmful to the environment. It contaminates soil and groundwater supply and exposes us to hazardous chemicals. Technology is beyond an average consumer’s grasp to repair. Moreover, it is often cheaper to buy a new product than to repair a broken one.

While repair is complicated, there are still options to reuse these items. Here are a few ways to reuse that I think are worth sharing.

Let me start with old cell phones that you no longer want to use:

• Use your old cell phone as an alarm clock or convert it into your offline GPS for the car. 
• Turn it into a security camera and set it up as a doorbell with a camera. There are apps available to do such a setup.
• Use it as an emergency phone and keep it in a place where you might need to call an emergency line, say in your kitchen or bathroom.
• Give your old phone to children as a wifi-only device.

An old smartphone from 2013 running on the custom lightweight operating system.

Photo: Sunanda

Compact discs are another common unwanted/unused item in many households. Instead of throwing these away, you can reuse these for household décor items like lampshades, photo frames or a pen stand.

You can make similar décor items with old video or audio cassettes and floppy discs.

Photo: City of Edmonton Reuse Centre

Earlier this year, I went on a trip and forgot to pack my phone charger. I could avoid this problem if I had a backup charger packed in my travel bag. If you have a new phone or laptop charger, consider using the old chargers as backup chargers. Check to ensure that they are compatible with your new device. You can use backup chargers in your car, or in different rooms in the house.

Here are a few more ideas for reuse: 

• Reuse old and slow laptops with lighter Linux operating systems. 
• Use an old desktop hard disk for additional storage or network storage to share files within your home.
• Repurpose circuit boards into jewelry 

If you have electronic cables that you do not use any longer, you can donate them to the Reuse Centre (computer, phone and TV only). Or, you can drop these off at any City of Edmonton Eco Station. Some retail stores also accept cables, batteries and chargers. 

So next time, before you discard your electronics, give reuse a chance.

- Submission by Sunanda (Volunteer)

Reuse-It Featured Item - Cables

Old computer and phone cords can be a nuisance, cluttering up storage bins and becoming a tangled mess with old electronics. These annoying cables can actually be used to create beautiful and useful items around the house. Here our some examples of unique and practical ways to reuse and repurpose old computer and electronics cables.

Sarah

With the wide variety of colours, thicknesses, and even patterns that electrical cables have, they make a great material for any kind of yarn or string-based art. A crocheted wall hanging made entirely out of used wires from old telephone and electronics cords would be amazing!

Mallory

While there are many ways to up-cycle cables, this idea posted on makezine.com is my favourite. You can see from the supplies list that there is nothing that you would need that you wouldn't be able to find at any craft store!

Supplies:

* Epoxy resin, clear formula for crafting or jewelry-making

* Cables

* Mold release and conditioner

Tools:

* Resin mixing cups, stir sticks, and brushes set

* Nail file with shine and buff surfaces or ultra-fine sandpaper

* Kraft paper or newspaper to protect your worktable

* Masking tape

* Extra straight pin or toothpick to position the items in the resin

Tamara

Although it might take a bit of time, the end result looks super cool: DIY coasters out of old cables.

These are two good websites with instructions that look relatively straightforward to follow. Both of them involve using a piece of strong tape to stick on the start of your coil, and then continue wrapping around.

1. Mother Jones, uses materials that most people will likely have at home already.

2. Sierra Club 

This tutorial explains how to braid the colorful strands found inside a piece of cable for a unique presentation. I like the ironing described at the end. This is a smart way to prevent the coaster from coming apart.

Ellen

When your rat’s nest of cables gets packed up and moved to three different addresses all while modem, firewire, and telephone technology advances by several generations, it’s time to let go of the mess. I decided to make some jewelry with my embarrassingly large stash of unused wires.

I picked the oldest looking cable in my stash and cut each end, then sliced into the plastic coating and ripped it off. I was left with four sets of two wires wound around each other: red, blue, green, and grey.

Next, I tediously unwound the sets of wires. This took a long time and flirted with the line between peacefully therapeutic and utterly maddening. I folded the eight kinky wires in half and used just a few of the wires to wrap around the neck and make a knot. Then I simply started wrapping wires around the group. I alternated between wrapping one at a time and two at a time for a different effect. 

When my piece reached the desired length for a necklace, I used one wire to tie a few knots at the end. I used the longest piece of wire to create a makeshift bar to slip into the loop. It works, but I may replace the bar with a bead which would be sturdier.

I’m calling this craft the "Blast from the Past" upcycled necklace because not only is it retro looking but it also invoked memories of campground friendship bracelets as a child. Playful, unique, and thrifty, my kind of jewelry!

Image Source: Ellen

Vanessa

This cute basket is made of coloured cables that were destined for the Eco Station. You can use the basket for pretty much anything, keys, jewelry, or even spare change. For details on how to make your own, visit atomicshrimp.com.

Share your thoughts on ways to reuse cables in the comments section.