What to Do With Old Phone Chargers, Cables & Accessories

Old phone chargers and cables are a surprisingly overlooked source of electronic waste - and the scale is striking. Discarded chargers alone account for more than 51,000 tonnes of e-waste globally every year. Because most people don’t know what to do with them, the majority end up in landfills; the plastics and metals inside them can leach harmful materials into soil and water over time.

The good news is that most of what’s in that drawer can be handled responsibly - it just takes knowing which accessories are worth keeping, which ones qualify as e-waste, and where to actually take them. This guide breaks down exactly that: what to hold onto as the industry shifts toward universal USB-C charging, why cables can’t go in your curbside recycling bin, and where to find legitimate drop-off options near you.

Why Your Old Chargers and Cables Are an E-Waste Problem

There are over 7 billion smartphones in use worldwide, and almost every one of them came with a charger. Add cables for earbuds, tablets, smartwatches, and older devices, and it’s easy to see how the numbers get staggering. Most of these accessories will outlive their practicality long before they wear out.

When chargers and cables end up in the trash, they don’t disappear. They go to landfill, where the plastic casing breaks down slowly and leaches chemicals into the surrounding soil and groundwater. The copper wiring inside gets buried too, which is a waste given how energy-intensive copper is to mine and refine.

Burning e-waste is even worse. Some landfills and informal recycling operations in lower-income countries burn electronics to recover metal, releasing toxic fumes in the process - a well-documented problem that can affect entire communities.

The EPA reported that only 12.5% of e-waste was recycled as of 2015, and the picture hasn’t improved much since then. That means the majority of old electronics - including small items like cables and chargers - ends up somewhere it shouldn’t. That’s where e-cycling comes in: it diverts electronics from landfill by sending them through a certified recycling process instead. Small accessories are easy to forget because they don’t feel as consequential as an old laptop or TV. But given how many people own them and how rarely anyone thinks to recycle them instead of tossing them out, the collective impact can add up to something worth taking seriously.

What Can Actually Be Recycled vs. What Counts as E-Waste

Most people believe that if something is made of metal or plastic, it can go in the recycling bin. Cables are an example of why that isn’t always true. Their long, flexible shape causes them to wrap around the moving parts inside sorting machinery at recycling facilities, which forces shutdowns and damages equipment; it’s why facilities reject them outright instead of processing them alongside bottles and cardboard.

So where do cables and chargers belong? Almost all of them fall under the category of electronic waste, which means they need to go to a dedicated e-waste drop-off or collection program instead of your curbside bin. This includes USB cables, charging bricks, wireless earbuds, phone cases with embedded electronics, and power banks.

That said, not everything is identical in terms of when it gets there. Plain plastic phone cases with no electronics inside can sometimes go into standard plastic recycling, depending on your local program - it’s worth a quick check before you assume the worst.

For cables specifically, the extra step to recycle them is worth it. Cables contain copper, and recovering that copper through recycling uses only about 12% of the energy that mining new copper requires, recovering over 92% of the material in the process, according to the International Copper Association - it’s a meaningful difference, not a marginal one. Learn more about the benefits of recycling electronics and why those numbers matter.

Chargers, cables, and most phone accessories are e-waste and need to be handled accordingly. Tossing them in the bin doesn’t get them recycled - it gets them rejected or, worse, sent to landfill. If you’re unsure what to do with old devices alongside these accessories, cell phone recycling at ecoATM is a straightforward option worth considering.

Which Cables and Accessories Are Worth Keeping Before You Toss Anything

Before you bag everything up for recycling, it’s worth taking ten minutes to sort through what you actually have. Some of it may still be helpful to you or someone else.

The most helpful thing to check is if a cable still works. Plug it in and see if it charges a device. If it does, the next question is if it fits anything you currently own. A cable that only works with a device you no longer have is not worth keeping unless you’re looking to pass that device along too.

USB-C cables are the ones most worth holding onto. USB-C has become the standard across phones, tablets, laptops, and earbuds, and that’s not going to change anytime soon. If a cable is USB-C and it supports fast charging, it has value. You can check this on the packaging if you still have it, or look up the cable model online.

Accessories like wireless chargers and earbuds deserve a second look too. A wireless charging pad that still works is usable even if you switched phones. Earbuds are a bit more nuanced - if one earbud has stopped working, you might not need to toss the whole set - it’s worth checking if the manufacturer sells replacements for individual earbuds before writing them off.

Cases are the one category where you can be pretty decisive. If they don’t fit a device you currently own and you don’t plan to give the device away, cases have no helpful second life and can go into your toss pile.

The goal is not to keep everything but to make sure nothing helpful ends up in recycling by accident.

Where to Drop Off Old Phone Chargers, Cables, and Accessories

Finding the right place to drop off old chargers, cables, and accessories is easier than it might seem. You have a few options depending on where you live and how much effort you want to put in.

Many phone and laptop manufacturers run their own take-back programs. Apple, Samsung, and Best Buy all have drop-off points where you can hand over old electronics for responsible recycling. Best Buy’s in-store drop boxes are especially convenient because they accept a number of accessories - not just full devices.

Your local municipality may also run e-waste collection days a few times a year. These are free to use and accept cables, chargers, and other small accessories with no fuss. A quick search for “e-waste drop-off near me” or a check of your city’s website should point you in the right direction.

One thing worth knowing before you head out: not every donation bin accepts cables. Clothing donation boxes and general charity bins almost never take electronics, so it’s worth a quick call or check online before assuming a bin will work.

If you have old devices to get rid of alongside your accessories, ecoATM kiosks are worth a deeper look for the device side of things. For a fuller overview of how those work, the ecoATM guide to e-cycling covers the process in detail.

And if clearing out your old gear has you thinking about what to replace it with, the best phone accessories for your next upgrade is a place to start building your new kit.

Clear Out the Drawer, Do It the Right Way

It’s worth keeping in mind that 87.5% of e-waste still doesn’t get recycled - and accessories like cables, chargers and earbuds are a big part of that gap. Every cord that makes it to the right bin instead of a landfill is a win. Those wins add up fast when enough people make the same easy choice. You might be surprised what gets made from recycled electronics when materials are handled responsibly.

If you’re ready to take the next step, check out the ecoATM guide to e-cycling for a deeper look at how responsible electronics recycling works - and if you’re ready to replace what you’ve cleared out, the best phone accessories for your next upgrade is a great place to start fresh. If spring cleaning has you in full declutter mode, a guide to spring cleaning the right way can help you tackle the rest of the house too.