Privacy Policy - Rubbish Collection

This Privacy Policy explains how Rubbish Collection handles personal data for all customers in our area. It applies to every individual who uses our services, requests a quotation, books a collection, makes an enquiry, or otherwise interacts with us in relation to waste removal and related services. We are committed to protecting personal data and processing it lawfully, fairly, and transparently in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Scope of this Policy

This policy applies to all Rubbish Collection customers in area, including domestic and commercial customers, account holders, authorised representatives, and individuals whose personal information we receive while delivering our services. It covers data collected through direct communications, booking forms, phone calls, emails, payment processes, service records, and any other operational activity necessary to provide rubbish collection services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary for running our services and meeting legal obligations. The types of data we may collect include:

Identity information such as name, title, and business name where relevant.
Contact details such as address, email address, and telephone number.
Service details such as property access instructions, collection dates, waste type, and booking history.
Billing and payment information such as invoice records, payment status, and transaction references.
Communication records including enquiries, complaints, feedback, and service-related correspondence.
Technical data such as IP address or device information when submitted through digital systems, where applicable.
Compliance information such as records needed to meet environmental, waste transfer, tax, or accounting requirements.

We do not collect more information than is needed for the purpose for which it is used. Where we collect any special category data, it will only be where strictly necessary and subject to additional safeguards.

3. How We Use Personal Data

We use personal data for the following purposes:

to process enquiries and provide quotes;
to schedule, deliver, and manage rubbish collection services;
to communicate with customers about bookings, service updates, or changes;
to issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records;
to respond to complaints, disputes, or customer support requests;
to maintain operational records and improve service delivery;
to comply with legal, regulatory, and tax obligations;
to prevent fraud, misuse, or unauthorised access;
to support insurance claims, legal claims, or defence of claims where necessary.

We ensure that personal data is used only for legitimate purposes and in a way that is compatible with the reason it was collected.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under data protection law, we must have a lawful basis to process personal data. Depending on the activity, we rely on the following lawful bases:

Performance of a Contract

We process personal data when it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, such as managing a collection booking, arranging access, or issuing invoices.

Legal Obligation

We process certain data to comply with legal obligations, including accounting, tax, waste handling, environmental, and record-keeping requirements.

Legitimate Interests

We may process data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. Examples include service improvement, fraud prevention, security, administration, and internal record management.

Consent

In limited situations, we may rely on your consent, for example where we collect optional information for a purpose not covered by another lawful basis. Where consent is used, you may withdraw it at any time.

Vital Interests

In rare circumstances, we may process personal data to protect someone’s vital interests, for example where necessary in an emergency.

5. Data Sharing and Processors

We may share personal data with trusted third parties who act as processors on our behalf. These processors are only permitted to use personal data in accordance with our instructions and applicable law. They are required to implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures.

Processors and service providers may include:

Payment processors that help us take and manage payments;
IT and cloud service providers that host systems, store records, or support communications;
Accounting or bookkeeping providers that assist with financial administration;
Customer management software providers that help schedule and record services;
Professional advisers such as insurers, auditors, lawyers, or consultants where necessary;
Regulatory or public authorities where disclosure is required by law.

We do not sell personal data. We do not allow processors to use personal data for their own unrelated purposes.

6. Retention of Personal Data

We keep personal data only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, and in line with legal, tax, accounting, and operational requirements. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of record and the reason it is held.

In general:

booking and service records are retained for the period needed to manage the service and resolve queries;
financial and invoice records are retained for the period required by tax and accounting law;
complaints and dispute records are retained for as long as needed to respond and defend legal claims;
inactive customer information is reviewed periodically and securely deleted or anonymised when no longer required.

When personal data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymise, or archive it in line with our retention practices.

7. Security of Personal Data

We use appropriate measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, encryption where suitable, staff confidentiality obligations, secure storage, and regular review of internal procedures. While no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and protect the information entrusted to us.

8. International Transfers

If personal data is transferred outside the United Kingdom, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses, or equivalent lawful transfer mechanisms. Any such transfer will be handled in compliance with applicable data protection requirements.

9. Your Rights

As a data subject, you have rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to legal restrictions and exemptions, these rights include:

Right of access – you can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
Right to rectification – you can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
Right to erasure – you can request deletion of your data in certain circumstances;
Right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain situations;
Right to object – you can object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing;
Right to data portability – you can request transfer of certain data in a structured, commonly used format;
Right to withdraw consent – where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it at any time;
Right to complain – you may raise concerns with the relevant data protection authority.

We will respond to valid rights requests within the time limits required by law. To protect your privacy, we may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.

10. Children’s Data

Our services are not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children except where it is provided incidentally in connection with a household or property service request. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without appropriate justification, we will take steps to delete it where required.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, practice, or our services. Any updated version will apply from the date it is issued. We encourage customers to review this policy periodically so they remain informed about how we process personal data.

12. Our Commitment

Rubbish Collection is committed to handling personal data responsibly and transparently. We will only use information where we have a lawful basis to do so, keep it only for as long as necessary, and ensure that any third parties processing data on our behalf do so securely and appropriately. If you use our services, you can expect your information to be treated with care, confidentiality, and respect in line with data protection law.

This policy is intended to provide a clear explanation of how we process personal data for our rubbish collection services across the area we serve.