Waste Collection Camden Customer Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Waste Collection Camden collects, uses, shares and protects personal data relating to our customers in the Camden area. It also explains your rights under UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. This Privacy Policy applies to all Waste Collection Camden customers and account holders whose waste collection services are provided within the Camden area.

Who we are and scope of this policy

Waste Collection Camden is responsible for the management of household and commercial waste collection, recycling and related services in the Camden area. For the purposes of data protection law, Waste Collection Camden is the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy applies to all customers who use our services in Camden, including residents, landlords, businesses and other organisations that arrange or receive waste collection or related services through us.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process personal data to provide and manage our waste collection and related services. The personal data we collect may include: name, title and contact details, such as your address, email address and telephone numbers; service location details for your property or premises; customer account information, including account numbers, service history, billing history and customer correspondence; payment-related information such as payment method, transaction records and billing addresses; communication records including phone calls, emails, online forms, letters and complaints; service usage information such as collection schedules, container types, frequency of collections, reported issues and service requests; and technical or usage information collected when you contact us online, including device information, basic diagnostic data and log information where applicable.

We will only collect information that is relevant to the services we provide or the obligations we must fulfil. In limited cases, we may process information relating to health or accessibility needs where it is necessary to provide an assisted collection service or to ensure the safety of our staff and the public.

How we collect your data

We typically collect personal data directly from you when you create or manage an account, request a service, complete a form, contact us by phone or email, make a payment, or make a complaint or enquiry. We may also receive information from third parties where this is necessary to deliver our services or meet our legal duties. This may include local authorities, housing associations, managing agents, other waste management providers, or payment service providers. In certain circumstances, we may collect data from publicly available sources to confirm or update address details and contact information.

Lawful basis for processing

We process your personal data only where we have a lawful basis to do so under data protection law. The lawful bases we rely on may include: performance of a contract, where processing is necessary to set up, manage and deliver waste collection or related services that you have requested or that we provide to your property or organisation; legal obligation, where we are required to process data to comply with legal and regulatory requirements relating to waste management, public health, environmental protection, tax, accounting and record keeping; legitimate interests, where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, and these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include managing and improving our services, handling queries and complaints, preventing fraud or misuse of services, and ensuring the safety and security of staff and the public; consent, where we rely on your consent to process certain data or to contact you for specific purposes. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time.

How we use your personal data

We use personal data for the following purposes: to set up and manage customer accounts and service arrangements; to schedule and deliver waste, recycling and related collection services; to manage billing, payments and refunds; to respond to enquiries, service requests and complaints; to monitor service performance and plan improvements to routes, capacity and infrastructure; to meet our legal, regulatory and reporting obligations; to protect our staff, customers and the public by managing safety and operational risks; and to prevent or detect fraud, misuse of services or criminal activity relating to our operations.

Data sharing and processors

We may share your personal data with selected third parties where this is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, and where appropriate safeguards are in place. These third parties act either as our data processors, who process personal data on our instructions, or as separate data controllers. Typical categories of recipients include: IT service providers who host or support our systems and data; payment service providers and financial institutions for processing payments and handling refunds; contracted waste collection and recycling partners who carry out collections on our behalf; customer service and communication providers who assist with handling calls, emails or notifications; professional advisers, auditors and regulators where required for legal, compliance or reporting reasons; and law enforcement or other public authorities where necessary to meet legal obligations or to protect the rights, property or safety of individuals.

Where we use data processors, we require them to process personal data only on our documented instructions, to keep it secure, and to comply with data protection law. We do not sell your personal data.

International transfers

In some cases, your personal data may be processed or stored outside the United Kingdom, for example where our service providers operate in other countries. Where this occurs, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with UK data protection law, such as using standard contractual clauses or ensuring that the destination country has an adequate level of protection for personal data.

Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is needed for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, and in accordance with legal, regulatory and operational requirements. In general, this means we keep customer account and service records for as long as your account is active and for a period afterwards to respond to queries, manage disputes, meet tax and accounting requirements, and demonstrate compliance. The exact retention period may vary depending on the type of data and the context in which it is processed. When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete it, anonymise it or dispose of it in a way that protects your privacy.

How we protect your data

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or loss. These measures may include access controls, encryption, secure storage, staff training, clear retention and disposal procedures, and regular monitoring of our systems and security controls. While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We encourage you to keep your account details and contact information safe and to tell us promptly if you suspect any misuse of your data in connection with our services.

Your data protection rights

As a Waste Collection Camden customer in the Camden area, you have rights in relation to your personal data under data protection law. These include: the right to be informed about how your data is used, which this Privacy Policy is intended to address; the right of access to obtain a copy of the personal data we hold about you, subject to certain exemptions; the right to rectification of inaccurate or incomplete personal data; the right to erasure in certain circumstances, for example where the data is no longer needed for the purposes for which it was collected, and where there is no legal requirement for us to retain it; the right to restrict processing in certain situations, for example while we review a request to rectify data; the right to data portability in some cases, allowing you to receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format and to transmit it to another controller; the right to object to processing where we rely on legitimate interests, and to object at any time to direct marketing; and rights related to automated decision making and profiling, where relevant.

You can exercise your rights by contacting us using the details provided in our customer communications or on our service documentation. We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests, and we will respond within the time limits set by law.

Complaints and contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, or if you wish to exercise your data protection rights, you can contact us using the details given in your service information or latest communication from us. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data. Details of how to do this are available from the Information Commissioner.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services, our practices or legal and regulatory requirements. When we make significant changes, we will take reasonable steps to bring them to your attention. The latest version of this Privacy Policy will always apply to the personal data we hold and process about you as a Waste Collection Camden customer in the Camden area.