"A GOOD compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem," said Rob in Nick Hornby's novel High Fidelity.

The compact cassette defined an era and became an institution back in the 1980s.

Hours were spent making homemade mix tapes for sweethearts and summer holidays with best mates. Or spending Sunday evenings seamlessly recording songs from the chart show on the radio.

But those halcyon days have all but come to an end.

The advent of superior technology such as MP3s and CDs has meant the humble cassette is no longer sold in major music stores.

Last year, the high street chain Currys even stopped selling hi-fi equipment that you can play tapes on.

So what can you do with the estimated 500 million tapes that are believed to be lurking in the backs of cupboards and wardrobes?

If you can't beat them, join them by embracing the digital age and swap the Walkman for an Ipod.

Most computers have the ability to connect to a hi-fi, so in theory you could convert your beloved cassette tapes into MP3s.

There are also music sharing websites that let you upload tunes as if recording them on to an old C60 tape.

You could go green and try to recycle the plastic cassettes.

Unfortunately, most local authorities tend not to have the intricate equipment needed to disassemble them.

Your bog standard cassette is mainly made up of plastic and screws that are reusable, but the actual recording tape is not.

Alternatively, why not make a few quid by selling your tape collection at an online auction site or trading them in a second-hand record store?

Doug Livermore, owner of Big Brother Records in Poole, says: "We still accept tapes but in a short time they will be gone.

"Although if you've got promo tapes from the big collectable artists like The Beatles that's a different matter.

"But for most tapes - for example, if you had a promo tape of Status Quo - there wouldn't be a big rush to your door."

One place where old tapes might be welcome is outdoors in the garden.

Greenfingered music lovers have been known to use the stretchy tape as a deterrent for scaring birds off.

The rustling noise and reflectiveness of the tape is apparently enough to warn off wildlife and protect your cabbage patch.

The only downside is a garden that's looks like a motorway lay-by.

Another practical application could be using the tape as baling twine. Tie up bundles of paper or even get creative and reuse it as ribbon on Christmas presents.

They say charity begins at home, so why not bequeath that entire Kenny Loggins back catalogue to the local charity shop?

If all else fails, steadfastly refuse to believe that tape is dead and keep playing them.

"There are a few strange people who still prefer tapes," says Doug Livermore.

"It's generally those who've bought an old car with a tape deck in it. It's not a mass market but there are still some out there buying them."