Search throughout your home and it won’t take long to find the cockroach of electronic waste hidden in drawers, behind desks and under couches. These things are everywhere, and you know the worst part about it? They, like cockroaches will live on forever, long after we are gone. What are these things I speak of? Power cords. Yes, power cords. Think about it. They are everywhere and with the exception of my iPhone’s Lightning cable, they seem to last forever (Maybe lightning refers to how quickly Apple’s cords break). There’s USB, mini USB, Apple’s proprietary 30-pin and Lightning, S-Video, HDMI and even Parallel, just to name a few. If you don’t believe me that Parallel cords still exist, spend a few minutes in your garage and you will surely find one.
I have spent many a late night pondering why there are so many damn power cords in this world, but it wasn’t until just last week that it hit me. Someone cleaned out an old storage closet at work and threw out at least 100 cords. Power strips, monitor cords and cables, printer cords and cables and phone cords made up the majority of the pile. All of them still work, so why were they thrown away?
Every time we buy new devices we get new power cords. Think about the last time you disposed of an old TV or computer monitor. Was there anything wrong with the power cord? Probably not, but I’d put money on it that it ended up in the trash, at an e-waste fundraiser or in a drawer. There are mini USB cords everywhere in my apartment.
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose a solution! New electronics should not include power cords! People will grumble and moan at first, but once they get used to it their lives will actually seem less cluttered and as it turns out, less clutter leads to more happiness.
“But what if I really do need a power cord with my new TV?”
Charge a nominal $1 power cord fee at the time of purchase. Or, since people despise surcharges, take $1 off the price of the item for consumers who go without the power cord. Although simple in concept, how can we convince Amazon, Wal-Mart and the manufacturers themselves that this is a good idea? Creating awareness is a good start.
Learn more at www.zerowasteguy.com.
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