Do you want to get rid of old chargers and cables: follow these 3 steps

Everyone has it at home: a drawer or container in which all old cables and chargers are stored. As the collection gets bigger and bigger, you get more and more in the mood to throw away cables and chargers. We explain in three steps how you can best approach this.

1. Start sorting

Chances are that you don’t just want to get rid of all cables and chargers, so sorting is the best starting point. With cables, look carefully at the different connections and put the same ones together.

usb c

In the case of usb-c chargers: make sure that the correct charging cable stays with the correct adapter as much as possible. Many smartphone brands have their own standard for fast charging and as soon as you mix cables and adapters, you also (partially) lose the benefits of extra fast charging. Usb-c is the most versatile connection you can think of and that is why it is used for more and more applications.

micro usb

Please note, because the fact that your smartphone now has a USB-C port does not mean that a micro USB cable is completely unnecessary. There is a good chance that you will still have to deal with these cables today if you buy a bluetooth speaker or a power bank, for example. We explain clearly why manufacturers still opt for this port in the article below:

All other cables

Below we help you with a general overview of types of cables that you should and should not keep. One connection is still regularly used by manufacturers, while the other is now very old. Although you should of course not throw away any of the cables below if you still regularly use a device that requires such a connection.

On the other hand, you are also in the right place if you keep one of the more exotic cables at a time. Not sure which one to keep? Choose the cable you received with the most recent device.

Keep track of these:

Throw this away:

2. Compare USB-C Chargers

We already wrote that usb-c is the most versatile cable that will be used more often in the future. But if you have already assembled a huge collection of such cables, there is a chance that you will want to prune this collection as well.

It is a good thing to consider the fast charging capabilities of chargers. In the article below we explain how you can recognize the different standards of fast charging. This way you know which chargers are best to keep.

3. Recycle

So, have you determined which cables you’d rather get rid of than be rich? Don’t just throw them in the trash. They can be recycled very well. you can bring them in for free at many different places near you:

• It environmental park
• In major electronics stores (larger than 400 square meters)
• In return bins at supermarkets and hardware stores, among others. Discover where you can find it via the website Wecycle.nl

More useful tips

Dealing with old electronics: sooner or later you will be confronted with them. Keep in mind that an old phone or tablet may still have a whole second life ahead of it. Discover all about it in the tip articles below: