E-waste and safe disposal
A water heater that has reached the end of its life is electronic waste. It contains metal, a heating element, wiring and insulation, and it should not go out with the household rubbish. This page explains what to do with it.
1. Why this matters
When appliances go to a landfill or to an informal scrap dealer, two things happen. Materials that could have been recovered — steel, copper, aluminium — are lost. And the parts that are hazardous get handled without protection, usually by people who are not equipped to do it safely, and often by burning off insulation in the open.
Handing an old unit to an authorised recycler costs you nothing and takes one phone call. It is also required under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, which place obligations on consumers as well as on producers.
2. What to do, and what not to do
Please do
- Hand the unit to an authorised recycler or collection centre
- Call us and we will tell you where the nearest one is
- Have it disconnected by a qualified electrician before removal
- Drain the tank fully before moving it — a full 25L tank is very heavy
- Keep it away from children while it is waiting to be collected
Please do not
- Put it in household waste or municipal bins
- Sell it to an informal scrap collector who will burn or dismantle it in the open
- Break the tank open or cut into it yourself
- Burn any part of it, including the insulation or the cable
- Leave it in an open area, on a terrace or in a stairwell
- Attempt to reuse the heating element or thermostat in anything else
3. How to hand over an old unit
- Get it disconnected and drained by a qualified electrician or plumber.
- Call +91 70093 25774 or write to [email protected]. Tell us your city and PIN code.
- We will give you the nearest authorised collection point, and its contact details.
- Hand the unit over. There is no charge to you for accepting an end-of-life TEJVAAN product for recycling.
This applies to TEJVAAN products. For appliances of other brands, contact that brand or your local authorised recycler — most accept any make.
4. Our producer responsibility
Being finalised
Our Extended Producer Responsibility registration and recycler tie-up are being completed. Once they are in place, the registration number and the list of collection points will be published on this page.
In the meantime, please do not put an old water heater in household waste. Call +91 70093 25774 and we will direct you to an authorised recycler in your area.
We would rather say this plainly than display a registration number we do not yet hold.
5. What is inside a water heater
Knowing what is in the unit is why careful handling matters. A storage water heater typically contains:
| Part | Material | Why it needs care |
|---|---|---|
| Inner tank | Steel, usually with a glass-lined or enamel coating | Recoverable; the coating should not be ground or burned off |
| Outer body | Steel or engineering plastic | Recoverable; plastic must not be burned |
| Insulation | Polyurethane foam | Releases harmful gases if burned |
| Heating element | Copper or Incoloy sheath, resistance wire | Copper is valuable and recoverable |
| Anode rod | Magnesium | Reactive metal; hand to a recycler, do not incinerate |
| Wiring and terminals | Copper with PVC insulation | Burning PVC to recover copper releases dioxins. This is the single worst thing done to old appliances |
| Thermostat and cut-out | Mixed metals, small electronic parts | Must go through proper e-waste channels |
6. Hazardous substance reduction
We require our manufacturing partners to observe the restrictions on hazardous substances that apply to electrical and electronic equipment in India, including limits on lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and specified brominated flame retardants, in each homogeneous material, subject to the exemptions the rules allow.
7. Who to contact
For anything on this page — locating a collection point, arranging handover, or asking about our compliance position:
NEW GARG ELECTRICALS
Plot No. 373, Industrial Area Phase-2, Chandigarh 160002
Toll free +91 70093 25774
[email protected]
Questions about this page?
Write to us and we will answer. If your question concerns a specific product or complaint, quote your warranty reference or ticket number.
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