Reuse your bakery tags
Those colorful bakery tags and twist ties serve an interesting purpose and can be reused to identify cables around the home. Read on to learn more!
Deciphering the bakery tag and twist tie color code
Anyone who's ever opened a loaf of bread or other bakery good knows that the twist ties and tags are different colors. For consumers, they provide a handy way to reclose the bag and keep the goodies fresher longer.
But did you know the colors are a code bakeries and route drivers use to determine freshness? It's true, and with the handy table below, you can tell the day of the week your bakery goods were baked and placed on the shelf. You can give up the squeeze freshness test and go with the color codes unless squeezing bread happens to be one of your things. We understand.
Drumroll, please ... here's the secret code explained.
Identify what's what on USB and AV connections
With that little tidbit of industry information safely behind us, let us take a look at reusing the tags as identifiers for PC peripherals and AV connection cables.
What's the problem I am solving with these tags?
Peripheral and AV connections tend to proliferate over time. Take my work PC, for example. As you see below, there are a lot of cables. Knowing which one is which for troubleshooting is difficult since they are all similar and live in a poorly lit space. Having a handy ID tag makes the task easier, and bakery tags are an excellent reuse/repurpose solution.
What you'll need
- A bakery tag for each cable and wire you want to identify
- Sharpie or comparable permanent marker
Step-by-step
1. Neatly write the device name on the tags.
2. Let the ink dry for a couple of minutes.
3. Clip the tag around the appropriate cable.
4. Enjoy easier troubleshooting!
Note: Some cables may be too thick for the tags, so you have a couple of options. First, don't worry about those if there are only a couple, as you can narrow down what they connect with since most of the others are identified. Another option involves using the bakery twist ties and creating a record of what's what. For this purpose, you can use the handle little table below to create and retain your tags.
Keep those bakery tags out of landfills!
Not only does repurposing bakery tags simplify your life when trying to figure out what a cable connects, but it also keeps them out of the landfills. Granted, they don't take up much space, but each small action adds up over time. This appeals to my conservationist nature.