Waste Collection Acton Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Waste Collection Acton collects, uses, stores and protects personal data relating to our domestic and commercial customers in the Acton area. It also sets out the legal bases on which we process your data under the UK General Data Protection Regulation and related data protection laws, how long we keep your information, when we share it with third parties, and what rights you have.

Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all Waste Collection Acton customers and prospective customers located in our service area, including individuals, households, landlords, letting agents and businesses that use, enquire about or are considering using our waste collection, recycling, bulky item removal or related services. By contacting us, requesting a quotation, entering into a contract, or otherwise providing your personal data to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process different categories of personal data depending on how you interact with us and which services you use. The personal data we typically collect includes:

Identity details, such as your name, title, and where relevant your job title or role if you contact us on behalf of a business or organisation.

Contact details, such as your billing address, collection address or site address, telephone numbers and email addresses so that we can communicate with you and provide our services.

Service information, such as details of your waste collection requirements, service type and frequency, access instructions, property type, photographs you may send relating to the waste to be collected, and any relevant notes necessary to perform the contract safely and efficiently.

Payment and transaction data, such as payment method, partial card details as provided by your payment processor, bank transfer details, invoice records, account balances, and history of payments and refunds. We do not store full payment card details on our own systems.

Communication records, such as emails, messages, telephone call notes, complaints, feedback and any correspondence related to bookings, quotations or service queries.

Technical and usage data, such as basic information about how you interact with our website or online forms, including device type, browser type, pages viewed and the time and date of visits, collected via essential cookies or similar technologies where used.

Regulatory information, such as records required for compliance with waste management and environmental legislation, including documentation associated with waste transfer notes and duty of care obligations.

How we obtain your personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us by telephone, email, online form or in person to request a quote, make a booking, pay an invoice, or raise a query or complaint. We may also receive your details from third parties such as letting agents, facilities managers, contractors, or other intermediaries where they arrange waste collection on your behalf. In addition, we may obtain personal data from publicly available sources, such as company registers or business directories, where needed to confirm contact details for business customers.

Lawful bases for processing your data

We process your personal data only where we have a valid lawful basis under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances, one or more of the following bases will apply:

Contract. We process your data where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as arranging collections, issuing quotes, managing your account, and handling payments.

Legal obligation. We process certain data to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, for example to maintain waste transfer records, health and safety documentation, tax and accounting records, and to respond to lawful requests from public authorities.

Legitimate interests. We process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests or those of a third party, provided that your rights and interests do not override those interests. This includes managing our relationship with you, improving our services, protecting our business from fraud or misuse, and communicating with existing customers about essential service updates.

Consent. In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example where you specifically agree to receive certain types of optional marketing communications. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw that consent at any time by contacting us using the details provided in this policy.

How we use your personal data

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:

To provide waste collection and related services, including arranging visits, adjusting service schedules, and ensuring that the correct items are collected at the correct address.

To prepare and manage quotations, bookings, contracts, invoices and payments, and to maintain accurate internal records of our customer relationships.

To communicate with you about your services, including confirming bookings, notifying you of changes or delays, and responding to your enquiries, complaints or feedback.

To meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including those relating to waste management documentation, health and safety, environmental rules, taxation and accounting.

To manage our business operations, including quality assurance, staff training, service planning, and the improvement of our processes and customer experience.

To protect our business and property, for example in relation to the prevention and detection of fraud, misuse of services, or non-payment of invoices, and to establish or defend legal claims.

Data sharing and processors

We may share your personal data with carefully selected third parties where necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and where we are satisfied that appropriate safeguards are in place. These third parties may act as data processors on our behalf or as separate controllers.

Typical categories of recipients include:

Service providers that support our operations, such as IT and software suppliers, secure data hosting providers, email and communication platforms, and customer relationship management systems.

Payment and financial service providers that process payments, manage direct debits, or assist with credit control and accounting.

Professional advisers, such as accountants, auditors, insurers and legal advisers, where necessary for the management and protection of our business.

Subcontractors and logistics partners involved in the provision of waste collection or related services, where they need limited personal data to fulfil their role.

Public authorities and regulators, such as environmental agencies, local authorities, law enforcement agencies or tax authorities, where we are required to share information to meet legal or regulatory obligations or to protect our rights.

Where we use processors to handle personal data on our behalf, we require them to act only on our instructions, to keep your data secure, and to comply with applicable data protection laws.

International transfers

If we transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, we will do so only where appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information, such as using standard contractual clauses approved by relevant authorities or ensuring that the destination country has an adequate level of data protection. You can request further information about any such transfers by contacting us.

Data retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting or reporting requirements.

In general, customer account and service records are kept for the duration of your relationship with us and for a reasonable period afterwards, typically up to six years from the end of the relevant financial year, to comply with tax and contract limitation periods.

Waste management and regulatory records may be retained for specific statutory periods as required under environmental and waste legislation.

Where there is no longer a legal or business need to retain data, it will be securely deleted, anonymised or destroyed.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to the personal data we hold about you, subject to certain conditions and exemptions. These include:

The right of access. You can request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of that data, together with certain information about how we use it.

The right to rectification. You can ask us to correct or complete any inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.

The right to erasure. In some circumstances, you can request that we delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing.

The right to restrict processing. You can ask us to restrict the use of your data in certain situations, such as while we are verifying its accuracy or considering an objection you have raised.

The right to object. You can object to our processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests, including any direct marketing based on those interests.

The right to data portability. In certain cases, you can request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and that we transmit it to another controller where technically feasible.

Where we rely on consent as the legal basis for processing, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before it was withdrawn.

How to exercise your rights

If you wish to exercise any of your rights or have questions about how we handle your personal data, you can contact us using the details provided on our main customer correspondence. To help us deal with your request efficiently, please provide your name, contact details, a description of your request, and any relevant account or reference numbers. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond within the time limits set by data protection law.

Security of your personal data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures include access controls, staff training, secure storage, and the use of reputable service providers who meet suitable security standards. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no system can be completely secure, and you are encouraged to take your own steps to keep your information safe, such as keeping login details confidential where applicable.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or data protection practices. Any significant changes will be highlighted in our updated policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how we handle your personal data.