Waste Collection Richmond Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Waste Collection Richmond collects, uses, stores, shares and protects personal data about its customers. It applies to all Waste Collection Richmond customers and service users within the Richmond area who contact us, request a quote, book a service or otherwise interact with us in relation to our waste collection services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information in a transparent and lawful way in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. This policy should be read carefully so that you understand how and why we use your personal data.

Data Controller

The data controller is Waste Collection Richmond. This means we decide how and why your personal data is used. Where we use third parties to process data on our behalf, they act as data processors and are bound by contractual obligations to protect your information.

What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data about you when you contact us or use our services:

Identification and contact details such as name, address, email address, telephone number and preferred contact method.

Service and booking information such as service addresses, access instructions, property type, type and volume of waste, preferred dates and times, and any notes necessary for the safe and efficient provision of the service.

Billing and payment information such as invoice addresses, billing contact details and records of payments made. Where payments are taken by card or online, card details are processed by our payment service provider and are not stored in full by us.

Communication records such as enquiries, quotations, emails, telephone call notes, complaints, feedback and any other communications between you and Waste Collection Richmond.

Technical and usage information where relevant, such as IP address, device details and basic usage data relating to how you interact with our website or online booking forms. This is used to administer and improve our services and website.

Operational information such as records of collections, service dates, vehicle route information relating to your service address, and any incident or accident reports relevant to the delivery of our services.

How We Collect Your Data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us by phone, email, online form, post or in person, when you request a quote, make a booking, sign a contract or provide feedback. We may also receive data from third parties where you have given them permission to pass your details to us for the purpose of arranging waste collection services.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We will only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis under data protection law. The main lawful bases we rely on are:

Contract. We process your personal data where it is necessary to enter into a contract with you or to perform an existing contract, for example to manage bookings, provide waste collection services, issue invoices and communicate with you about your service.

Legal obligation. We may process your personal data where it is necessary for compliance with legal obligations, including tax, accounting, environmental, health and safety and record keeping requirements.

Legitimate interests. We may process your personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided that your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. This can include managing and improving our operations, handling queries and complaints, maintaining security, and promoting similar services to existing customers.

Consent. In limited circumstances, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of direct marketing that require explicit permission. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to 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 to you, including booking, scheduling and completing collections and managing any follow up work.

To communicate with you about your enquiries, bookings, changes to services, service reminders, invoices, payments and any issues arising from the services provided.

To manage our relationship with you, including handling complaints, queries, feedback and requests to exercise your data protection rights.

To issue invoices, process payments, maintain accounting records and meet tax and regulatory obligations.

To manage our operations, fleet routes and staff so that services can be delivered safely and efficiently in the Richmond area.

To improve our services, for example by analysing service data, monitoring performance, training staff and reviewing customer feedback.

To send you information about similar services we provide that may be of interest to you, where we are permitted to do so under data protection and eprivacy laws. You can opt out of marketing at any time.

Data Sharing and Processors

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties that act as data processors on our behalf. These may include:

IT and hosting providers who host our systems, databases, email and communication platforms.

Payment service providers who process card or electronic payments securely.

Accountants and professional advisers who assist with financial, legal or compliance matters.

Customer relationship management, routing or booking software providers that help us schedule, manage and track services.

These processors are only permitted to process your personal data according to our instructions and for the purposes described in this policy. They must keep your data secure and may not use it for their own purposes.

We may also share your data where required by law, for example with regulatory or enforcement authorities, or in connection with legal claims. We do not sell your personal data.

International Transfers

Where any of our service providers are located outside the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place before any personal data is transferred. These may include the use of standard contractual clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms to make sure that your data remains adequately protected.

Data Retention

We keep personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to meet our legal, accounting or reporting obligations.

In general, service and billing records relating to customers are retained for up to seven years after the end of the relevant financial year to comply with tax and accounting requirements. Operational records linked to service delivery may be kept for a similar period where relevant for insurance or legal purposes.

Enquiry records where no contract is formed are usually kept for up to two years from the date of last contact, unless you ask us to delete them earlier where we have no other lawful basis to retain them.

Marketing contact preferences and basic contact details may be kept until you opt out or until we determine that they are no longer needed, subject to any overriding legal requirements.

When data is no longer required, it will be securely deleted or anonymised so that it can no longer be associated with you.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under data protection law, you have certain rights in relation to your personal data. Subject to some conditions and exemptions, you have the right to:

Access your personal data and receive a copy of the information we hold about you.

Rectify inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Erase your personal data where there is no good reason for us to continue processing it, sometimes known as the right to be forgotten.

Restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.

Object to processing based on our legitimate interests and to direct marketing at any time.

Data portability, in some cases, which allows you to request that we provide your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine readable format or transfer it to another controller where technically feasible.

Where we rely on consent, withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing that took place before withdrawal.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using our usual contact details for Waste Collection Richmond. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request.

Security of Your Data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration or disclosure. These measures include access controls, secure storage, staff training and appropriate contractual protections with our service providers. While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no system can be completely secure and you should take care when sharing information with us.

Policy Scope and Updates

This Privacy Policy applies to all Waste Collection Richmond customers and service users within the Richmond area, including domestic, commercial and other clients who engage us to provide waste collection or related services.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, guidance or our services. Any changes will take effect from the date the updated policy is published. You should review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we use your personal data.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how Waste Collection Richmond handles your personal data, please contact us using the contact details provided in your service documentation or on our customer communications.