Waste Collection Kingston Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Waste Collection Kingston collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data relating to our customers and prospective customers. It applies to all Waste Collection Kingston customers and service users within our operating area, including residential, commercial, and public sector clients.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information in a fair, transparent, and secure manner in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Who we are and how to contact us

Waste Collection Kingston is the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal information.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data, or how we handle your information, you can contact us using the details provided on your service documentation or any official communication you have received from us.

What personal data we collect

The type of personal data we collect about you will depend on the services you receive from us and how you interact with us. We may collect and process the following categories of information:

Identity and contact data, such as your name, title, address, billing address, service address, email address, telephone numbers, and any unique customer reference numbers assigned to you.

Service and contract data, such as details of the waste collection or related services you receive, collection schedules, container types and quantities, service notes, communication preferences, and information about premises access or special instructions.

Financial and transaction data, such as bank account details you provide for payments, payment card details processed via secure payment systems, invoices, payment history, and records of refunds or credits.

Communication data, such as emails, letters, call notes, messages, complaints, enquiries, and customer service records, including any feedback or survey responses you choose to provide.

Technical and usage data, such as information about how you access our online services, including IP address, device type, browser type, login data, and usage statistics where relevant.

Regulatory and compliance data, such as records required for waste duty of care, waste transfer notes, and any information necessary to comply with legal and regulatory obligations.

How we collect your personal data

We collect personal data directly from you when you contact us, request a quote, sign up for services, enter into a contract, make a payment, or interact with our staff in person, by phone, email, or other communication channels.

We may also collect data automatically when you use our online platforms, and we may receive information from third parties such as payment processors, referencing agencies, or public sources, where this is lawful and relevant to the services we provide.

Lawful bases for processing your data

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

Contract. We process your information where it is necessary to enter into or perform a contract with you, for example to set up, deliver, and manage your waste collection or related services, process payments, or handle service requests.

Legal obligation. We process certain information because we are required to do so by law, such as retaining records for tax purposes, complying with waste management and environmental regulations, and responding to requests from law enforcement or regulatory authorities.

Legitimate interests. We may process your data where it is necessary for our legitimate business interests or those of a third party, and those interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. These interests include managing and improving our services, handling customer queries and complaints, ensuring site and staff safety, preventing fraud, and maintaining accurate records.

Consent. In limited cases, we may rely on your consent, for example for certain types of direct marketing or optional communications. Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw it at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

How we use your personal data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To provide and manage our waste collection and related services, including setting up your account, scheduling collections, monitoring service performance, and handling access arrangements.

To administer billing and payments, including issuing invoices, collecting payments, managing arrears, and dealing with refunds or adjustments.

To communicate with you about your services, such as service updates, changes to collection schedules, service notices, contract renewals, and responses to your queries or complaints.

To meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including record keeping, reporting to authorities where required, supporting environmental compliance, and responding to lawful requests for information.

To improve and develop our services, including analysing service usage, monitoring performance, training staff, and enhancing customer experience.

To protect our business and customers, including fraud prevention, security, resolving disputes, and enforcing contractual terms.

Data sharing and processors

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties where necessary and lawful. These parties act either as data processors, processing information on our behalf, or as separate controllers. Categories of recipients may include:

Service partners and subcontractors who assist with collections, container deliveries, maintenance, or related site services.

IT and system providers who supply, support, and host our business systems, communications platforms, and data storage infrastructure.

Payment processors and financial institutions who handle payments, refunds, and fraud prevention on our behalf.

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

Regulators, public authorities, law enforcement, and courts where we are required to share information to comply with legal obligations or protect our rights.

We require all data processors to protect your personal data and to process it only in accordance with our documented instructions and applicable data protection laws. We do not sell your personal data.

Data retention

We keep 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 retain core customer and contract records for as long as you are a customer and for a period after your account is closed, typically up to six years, to comply with legal and tax obligations and to manage any potential disputes. Certain waste management records may need to be retained for specific statutory periods.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete, anonymise, or destroy it in accordance with our data retention and disposal procedures.

International transfers

Where we transfer personal data outside the United Kingdom, for example where our service providers host data in other countries, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. This may include using standard contractual clauses or ensuring that the destination country has an adequate level of data protection as recognised by applicable law.

How we protect your data

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include access controls, staff training, secure storage, and the use of reputable service providers. While we take reasonable steps to safeguard your information, no system can be completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These include:

The right of access. You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you and information about how we process it.

The right to rectification. You can ask us to correct or complete inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

The right to erasure. In certain 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 and we have no legal obligation to retain it.

The right to restrict processing. You can request that we restrict the processing of your data in certain situations, such as when you contest its accuracy or object to our use of it.

The right to object. You may object to processing based on our legitimate interests, and we will stop processing unless we have compelling legitimate grounds which override your interests and rights, or we need to continue for legal reasons. You always have the right to object to direct marketing.

The right to data portability. Where processing is based on your consent or on a contract and carried out by automated means, you may request that we provide your data in a structured, commonly used, machine readable format or transfer it to another organisation where technically feasible.

Where we rely on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection supervisory authority if you are unhappy with how we handle your personal data. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve your concerns.

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 updated version will apply from the date it is made available. We recommend that you review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use your personal data.