Short answer: before Diwali, sell anything with metal or resale value (old utensils, appliances, phones, laptops and raddi), recycle anything hazardous (batteries, bulbs, dead gadgets), donate what still works, and throw only what has no value. Sort into those four piles first. It decides who you call, and how much you get paid.
- The 4-pile method that makes Diwali safai faster
- A room-by-room list of what to sell, recycle or throw
- Which old items are worth the most, and why
- Why e-waste should never go in the dustbin
- How to get cash at your door in Mumbai and Thane
Why Diwali cleaning creates so much scrap
Every household in Mumbai cleans out before Lakshmi Puja. Lofts get opened, old bartan comes down, and the TV or phone replaced on Dhanteras suddenly has nowhere to go. The city feels it.
Source: Free Press Journal, “Mumbai generates 15-20% more festival waste”.
“Days before Diwali, people clean their house and usually throw away old stuff.”A BMC official, quoted by the Free Press Journal
Much of that “old stuff” isn’t waste at all. A brass lota, a dead mixer, a stack of newspapers and an old phone all have value, either as metal or as parts. Thrown in the bin, they become the city’s problem. Sold to the right buyer, they pay for some of the new things you’re bringing home.
The 4-pile method: sell, recycle, donate, throw
Before you call anyone, walk through the house with four bags or corners. Every item goes into exactly one pile. Here’s how to decide.
- Sell: anything made of metal, any appliance (working or not), any phone or computer, and paper in bulk. These are bought by weight or per piece.
- Recycle safely: batteries, tube lights, CFLs, chargers and broken gadgets. They contain lead, mercury or circuit boards that are harmful in a landfill, so they need an authorised channel.
- Donate: clothes, books, toys and working items someone else can use.
- Throw: only what has no value and no reuse, such as food packaging, broken glass and soiled cloth.
Room-by-room Diwali cleaning checklist
Use this as you go. The “sell” items can all go in one pickup.
Kitchen
- Sell: old pressure cooker, kadhai, brass and copper bartan, dead mixer
- Recycle: old induction or kettle that won’t switch on
- Throw: expired spices, broken crockery (wrapped)
Loft and storage
- Sell: steel trunks, old fans and coolers, cartons
- Recycle: last year’s broken serial lights
- Donate: blankets and bedsheets in good condition
Living room and bedroom
- Sell: old TV, set-top box, speakers, metal racks
- Sell as raddi: newspapers, magazines
- Recycle: extension boards and loose wires
Study and work desk
- Sell: old laptops, phones, tablets, printers
- Recycle: chargers, keyboards, dead hard disks
- Sell as raddi: old notebooks and textbooks
Puja corner
- Sell: brass diyas, lotas, thalis and bells you’ve replaced
- Compost: used flowers and leaves
Balcony and utility
- Sell: washing machine, geyser, old cycle, iron grills
- Recycle: inverter battery and old UPS
- Sell: plastic buckets and broken chairs
For the full list of 69 household items and how each one is priced, see our Diwali scrap pickup page. You can search it by item name, in English or Hindi.
What’s worth the most: a quick reference
Not all scrap is equal. Metals are worth the most per kilo, appliances are priced per piece, and paper is worth the least per kilo but adds up fast.
| Item | How it’s priced | What raises the price | Where to sell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Copper and brass utensils | By weight, at the day’s metal rate | Kept separate from iron and steel; no plastic handles | Old utensils |
| Fridge, AC, washing machine | Per piece, quoted from a photo | Working condition; all parts present (AC outdoor unit, trays) | Old appliances |
| Phones and laptops | Per piece, by model and condition | Switches on; charger included; account signed out | Phones and laptops |
| Newspapers, books, cartons | By weight | Dry; newspapers kept separate from mixed paper | Raddi and paper |
| Inverter and car batteries | By weight | Intact casing, no leaks | Full item list |
Metal prices move every day with the market. You can check what copper, brass and aluminium are worth today on our live scrap rates page, or work out your lot with the copper and brass calculators.
Three tips that raise what you get paid
- Separate metals. Brass is yellow-gold, copper is reddish-brown, and neither sticks to a fridge magnet. Weighed as one mixed lot, everything gets the lowest rate.
- Keep paper dry. Damp raddi weighs more but is worth less, and many buyers won’t take it.
- Photograph appliances first. A clear photo of the model sticker gets you an estimate before anyone arrives, so there’s no bargaining at the door.
Don’t put e-waste in the dustbin
Old phones, chargers, bulbs and batteries are e-waste. In India, the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 (in force since 1 April 2023) require electronics to be channelled to registered recyclers and refurbishers, not municipal waste. Batteries and circuit boards contain lead and other metals that leak when dumped.
Phones and laptops have a second problem: your data. Photos, WhatsApp chats and UPI apps stay on the device after you stop using it. Before you hand one over, read how to wipe a laptop properly. When you sell to us, we wipe or physically destroy the storage and record it on your certificate. See selling old phones and laptops safely.
Here’s a look inside an Indian e-waste plant, and what happens to devices that reach the right recycler:
Video: Outlook Business, “Inside an E-Waste Plant: The Truth About Recycling in India”.
Raddi: small value per kilo, big volume
A year of newspapers, the kids’ old textbooks and every delivery box from the festive sales add up to more than most people expect. Keep newspapers in their own pile, flatten cartons and keep everything off the floor so it stays dry. Our raddi pickup weighs each type separately on a digital scale.
Clearing the house without making a mess
The biggest Diwali cleaning mistake is pulling everything out at once. This short video walks through decluttering one zone at a time, which pairs well with the 4-pile method:
Video: Life Sorted Hain, “Smart Decluttering Tips, Episode 4” (Hindi).
Bigger clear-outs: societies and offices
If your whole building is cleaning out, one coordinated drive is easier than 40 families calling 40 different kabadiwalas. Our society Diwali drive sets up in the compound, weighs flat by flat and pays each family on the spot. For offices and shops closing the year before the festive break or Chopda Pujan, see the office clear-out.
How to get cash for your Diwali scrap in Mumbai
- Sort into the four piles using the checklist above.
- Send 2–3 photos on WhatsApp with your area. We reply with an estimate.
- Pick a slot. Weekends before Diwali included; book by 4 November for a pickup before Dhanteras.
- Weigh, get paid, done. Everything is weighed on a digital scale in front of you, paid in cash or UPI before we leave, with a certificate on WhatsApp.
“Old TV aur kuch electronic accessories ghar me unused pade the.”Shashank Tiwari, Google review of National Recycling, on booking a home pickup
Clear the old before Lakshmi comes in
Free doorstep pickup across Mumbai and Thane. Better rates than your local kabadiwala, weighed in front of you, cash in hand.
Book pickup on WhatsAppSee all 69 items we buyNot sure if something counts as scrap? See our kabadi items list for everything you can sell and how each kind is priced.
Frequently asked questions
What should I sell before Diwali?
Anything with metal or resale value: brass, copper and steel utensils, old appliances (working or not), phones, laptops, newspapers, books and cartons. These are bought by weight or per piece.
Can I sell a broken fridge, TV or AC?
Yes. Non-working appliances still have value in their metal and parts. We pick them up from any floor and pay on the spot.
Can I throw old phones, chargers and batteries in the dustbin?
No. They are e-waste and should go to an authorised channel under India’s E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. Batteries and circuit boards contain metals that are harmful in a landfill.
How do I get the best price for scrap?
Separate metals by type, keep paper dry, and send photos of appliances first so you get an estimate before pickup. Check the day’s metal rates before you sell.
When should I book a scrap pickup before Diwali?
Diwali is on 8 November 2026 and Dhanteras on 6 November. Book by 4 November for a pickup before Dhanteras, since slots fill up in the last week.
Do you pay cash for scrap at the time of pickup?
Yes. Items are weighed in front of you and paid in cash or UPI before we leave. Office and business pickups are paid by UPI or bank transfer.