Waste Collection Brent Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Waste Collection Brent collects, uses, stores and shares personal data relating to individuals who use our waste and recycling services. It applies to all Waste Collection Brent customers and service users within our service area in Brent. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data in a lawful, fair and transparent way in accordance with UK data protection law, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act.

Who we are and how to contact us

Waste Collection Brent is the organisation responsible for providing waste and recycling collection services in the Brent area. For the purposes of data protection law, we act as the data controller for the personal data described in this Privacy Policy. This means we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we use your personal data, or if you wish to exercise any of your data protection rights, you can contact us using the contact information provided on your service documentation or any official correspondence from us.

Personal data we collect

We collect and process different types of personal data depending on the services you use and how you interact with us. This can include:

Identification and contact details, such as your name, address, postcode, email address and telephone numbers. Service information, such as the type of collection service you receive, container types and sizes, collection schedules, service history, reports of missed collections, complaints or enquiries, and any additional support services you request. Account and billing information, such as records of payments, invoices, billing addresses, direct debit details and correspondence relating to charges, exemptions, discounts or service changes. Communication records, such as details of calls, emails, letters and online forms you send to us, including the content of your communications and our responses. Technical and usage data, such as log information when you use our online services, including dates and times of access and information about the device or browser you use. Observational data, such as notes from site visits, contamination checks on containers, and photographs where required to evidence service issues, health and safety risks or fly-tipping.

In limited cases, we may collect special category personal data where it is relevant to the provision of our services, for example information about health or disability where this is required to assess eligibility for assisted collections or special arrangements. We only collect such information where it is necessary and lawful to do so.

How we collect your data

We collect personal data directly from you when you sign up for our services, request a new or amended collection, contact us with a query or complaint, complete a form, or communicate with us by phone, email or other channels. We may also receive personal data from other sources, such as local authorities in the Brent area, service partners and contractors who provide collection services on our behalf, payment service providers, and other parties involved in the management of waste and environmental services.

Lawful bases for processing

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

Performance of a contract. We process personal data where it is necessary to provide you with waste collection services, manage your account and deliver the contractual services you have requested. Legal obligation. We process personal data where it is necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements relating to waste management, environmental protection, public health, record keeping and financial reporting. Public task. In some cases, we process personal data as part of performing tasks carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority relating to waste and recycling services. Legitimate interests. We process personal data where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party, provided these are not overridden by your rights and freedoms. This may include ensuring service quality, preventing fraud, protecting staff and the public, and improving service efficiency. Consent. Where required by law, we will obtain your consent before processing your personal data for specific purposes, such as certain types of direct marketing. You can withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.

How we use your personal data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To set up, manage and deliver your waste and recycling collection services, including maintaining service records and responding to service requests. To communicate with you about your services, including notifications of changes to routes, schedules, terms or policies, and responses to your questions or complaints. To issue bills, process payments, manage debts, handle disputes and maintain accurate financial records. To monitor and improve our services, including reviewing performance, managing resources and addressing operational issues. To ensure the safety and security of our staff and the public, including investigating incidents, contamination, fly-tipping or misuse of services. To meet our legal and regulatory obligations, including reporting to relevant public bodies and maintaining statutory records. To carry out internal reporting, auditing and governance, including risk management, quality assurance and staff training.

Sharing your personal data

We may share your personal data with trusted third parties where this is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and where appropriate safeguards are in place. These recipients can include:

Service providers and contractors who perform waste and recycling collections, customer support, contact centre operations, information technology services, data hosting, payment processing, printing and mailing on our behalf. Professional advisers such as auditors, legal advisers and consultants where required for governance, compliance, dispute resolution or legal claims. Public authorities, regulators, law enforcement and other competent bodies where we are legally required to do so, or where it is necessary to protect public health, safety or the environment, or to prevent or detect crime or fraud.

We require all processors who handle personal data on our behalf to act only on our instructions, to keep your data secure and confidential, and to comply with data protection law and contractual obligations.

International transfers

In general, we aim to keep your personal data within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area. If we ever need to transfer personal data to a country outside these areas, we will ensure that an adequate level of protection is in place, for example through adequacy regulations, standard contractual clauses or other appropriate safeguards required by law.

Data retention

We keep personal data only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, and to meet legal, regulatory, accounting or reporting requirements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and the relevant legal or operational considerations. For example, service and account records may be retained for a number of years after your service ends to deal with queries, complaints or legal claims, while financial records will be kept for the period required by tax and accounting laws. When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

How we protect your data

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, unlawful processing, accidental loss, destruction or damage. These measures include controlled access to systems, secure storage, staff training, and regular review of our security arrangements. While we take reasonable steps to protect your personal data, no system can be completely secure and you should take care when sharing information with us.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal data. These rights apply to all Waste Collection Brent customers and service users in our area, subject to certain limitations and exemptions. Your rights include:

The right of access. You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you and information about how we use it. The right to rectification. You have the right to ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data. The right to erasure. In certain circumstances, you have the right to ask us to delete your personal data, for example where it is no longer needed for the purpose it was collected, or where you withdraw consent and there is no other lawful basis for processing. The right to restrict processing. You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain situations, such as while we are considering a request to rectify data. The right to object. You have the right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests or on public task grounds, and to object to direct marketing at any time. The right to data portability. In certain cases, you have the right to receive personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to request that we transfer it to another controller where technically feasible.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details provided in your service documentation. We may need to verify your identity before responding to your request and we will respond within the time limits set by law.

Complaints and supervisory authority

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal data, we encourage you to contact us first so that we can try to resolve the issue. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority in the United Kingdom.

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. The most recent version will always apply to the processing of your personal data. We will take reasonable steps to inform you of significant changes where appropriate.