Waste Collection Sutton Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Waste Collection Sutton collects, uses, stores and protects personal data about our customers and service users. It applies to all Waste Collection Sutton customers and enquirers within our operating area, including residents, landlords, managing agents and business customers who use or consider using our waste collection and related services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and processing your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Please read this policy carefully to understand how and why we use your information.

Who we are and how to contact us

Waste Collection Sutton is the organisation responsible for determining how and why your personal data is processed. For the purposes of data protection law, we are the data controller in respect of the personal data described in this policy.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or about how we handle your personal data, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, you can contact us using the details provided on your service documentation or invoice, or by contacting our customer service team and asking to speak with the person responsible for data protection matters.

Personal data we collect

We only collect personal data that is necessary for us to provide and manage our waste collection and associated services. The types of personal data we may collect include:

Identification and contact details, such as your name, title, address, email address, telephone number and any delivery or collection location details you provide. Service and account information, such as service type, bin size, collection frequency, customer reference numbers, site notes and service preferences. Billing and payment details, such as billing address, payment method, partial payment card information where required for processing, bank details for business customers where relevant, and records of payments made. Communications data, such as enquiries, complaints, feedback, correspondence, call notes and information you provide when you contact us. Usage and operational data, such as collection histories, missed collection reports, service changes, access instructions and any images or records generated as part of service delivery and route planning. Technical data, such as basic device, browser or system information and time and date of access where you use any of our online forms or digital services.

We do not intentionally collect special category data such as health information or data about your religious beliefs, political opinions or similar sensitive categories. If you choose to provide such information to explain an access requirement or specific service need, we will limit its use to what is strictly necessary for that purpose.

How we collect your personal data

We collect personal data in a variety of ways, including:

When you contact us by phone, email, post or using any online form to request a quote, arrange a collection, change a service or make a complaint. When you enter into a contract with us as a domestic or commercial customer. When you interact with our staff on site, for example when they attend your property for a collection or service inspection. From managing agents, landlords, local businesses or property owners who arrange services on behalf of residents or occupiers. From internal records created during service delivery, such as route notes, collection logs and service reports. From basic technical information generated when you use any of our online tools or digital contact channels.

Lawful bases for processing

We will only process your personal data when we have a lawful basis to do so. Depending on the context, we may rely on one or more of the following legal grounds:

Contract: where processing is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, including taking steps at your request before agreeing a service. This covers activities such as setting up your account, scheduling collections and issuing invoices. Legal obligation: where we need to process your data to comply with a legal or regulatory requirement, such as waste, environmental, tax and accounting obligations, or to respond to lawful requests from public authorities. Legitimate interests: where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests or those of a third party, and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This may include managing and improving our operations, planning routes, handling queries, maintaining accurate records, preventing fraud and ensuring the security of our staff and customers. Consent: where you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for a specific purpose. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

How we use your personal data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide waste collection and related services you request or receive from us, including setting up and managing your account, scheduling and carrying out collections, handling access arrangements and resolving operational issues. To communicate with you about your service, including confirming arrangements, notifying you of service changes, responding to your enquiries, complaints or requests, and providing customer support. To issue and manage invoices, process payments, recover debts and maintain accurate financial and accounting records. To manage our relationship with you, including seeking feedback, managing renewals or changes to service and keeping basic records of interactions and decisions. To plan, manage and improve our routes, service reliability, safety and environmental performance. To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations in relation to waste handling, health and safety, environmental reporting and other requirements. To protect our rights, property, staff and customers, including the prevention and detection of fraud or misuse of services, and the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

Sharing your personal data and processors

We may share your personal data with carefully selected third parties where necessary for the purposes set out in this policy and where permitted by data protection law. These may include:

Service providers who act as data processors on our behalf and provide services such as waste treatment and disposal, route planning support, secure data storage, customer service tools, billing systems and payment processing. Professional advisers including accountants, auditors, legal advisers and insurance providers where reasonably necessary for the management of our business and the protection of our legal rights. Public authorities, regulators and enforcement bodies where we are required or permitted to do so by law, or where it is necessary to protect the rights, property or safety of our customers, staff or others. Other parties involved in a business transfer, merger or restructuring, in which case we will ensure that any new controller continues to protect your personal data in accordance with applicable law.

When we use data processors, they are only allowed to process your personal data on our documented instructions, must keep it secure and are not allowed to use it for their own purposes.

Data retention

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

In general, we keep customer account and service records for the duration of our relationship with you and for a period afterwards to deal with any queries, disputes or legal obligations. Financial and transactional records are typically retained for the period required by tax and accounting legislation. In some cases, we may retain certain information for longer where necessary in connection with potential or ongoing legal claims, investigations or regulatory requirements.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it so that it can no longer be associated with you.

International transfers

We aim to store and process your personal data within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area wherever possible. If we need to transfer personal data to a country outside the UK or EEA that does not provide an equivalent level of data protection, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with data protection law. These may include standard contractual clauses or other recognised transfer mechanisms.

Data security

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised or unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures include access controls, staff training, secure storage and appropriate procedures for handling and sharing information.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no system can be completely secure. You also have a role in keeping your information safe, for example by keeping account or payment details confidential and notifying us promptly if you suspect any misuse.

Your data protection rights

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

Access your personal data and receive a copy of the information we hold about you. Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data. Request erasure of your personal data where there is no good reason for us to continue processing it, for example where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and we have no legal obligation to retain it. Object to our processing of your personal data where we are relying on legitimate interests and you consider that your rights and freedoms override those interests. Request restriction of processing of your personal data in certain circumstances, such as while we are considering an objection or verifying the accuracy of data. Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to another organisation in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format where processing is based on consent or contract and carried out by automated means. Withdraw your consent at any time where we rely on consent as the legal basis for processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details set out above. We may need to confirm your identity before responding to your request. We aim to respond within one month, or within any extended period permitted by law where requests are complex or numerous.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data or how we have responded to a request, please contact us in the first instance so that we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority. Details of how to do this are available from that authority.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, legal requirements or how we process personal data. Any changes will be effective from the date we post the revised policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

This Privacy Policy applies to all Waste Collection Sutton customers and service users within our operating area and is the current statement of our data protection practices.