How We Handle Your Personal Data
bincollectionguide.org/ is committed to protecting your privacy under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. This page sets out what data we collect, why, how long we keep it, and the rights you can exercise at any time.
What’s on this page
1. Who We Are
bincollectionguide.org/ is an independent UK-focused editorial website that publishes guides to bin collection schedules, recycling rules, and waste services across local authorities in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. We are the data controller for the personal data described on this page.
For any privacy-related question, you can contact us at info@bincollectionguide.org with the subject line “Privacy enquiry” and we will respond within the time limits set out below.
2. The Personal Data We Collect
We collect the smallest amount of personal data we need to operate the site and respond to enquiries. Specifically:
| Category | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Contact data | Email address, name (if you provide one), the content of your message | You — when you email us or use a contact form |
| Technical data | IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, referring URL | Your browser, automatically, when you visit any page |
| Usage data | Pages visited, time on page, search terms used on the site, click paths | Analytics cookies, when you consent |
| Cookie and consent data | Your cookie preferences, the date you set them | Set when you choose preferences in our cookie banner |
| Advertising data | Advertising identifiers used to limit ad frequency and measure ad performance | Third-party advertising networks, when you consent |
We do not collect special category data (health, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, biometric or genetic data) and we do not ask for it. We do not collect financial information; the site has no payment functionality.
3. How We Collect Your Data
Three routes:
- Directly from you — when you email us, complete a contact form, or set cookie preferences.
- Automatically — when you visit the site, your browser sends standard technical information (IP address, browser version, etc.) so the page can load.
- From third-party services we use — analytics and advertising providers, but only after you have given consent through the cookie banner.
4. Lawful Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, every use of personal data needs a lawful basis. We rely on the following:
| Activity | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Responding to your email or contact-form message | Legitimate interests — replying to your enquiry |
| Strictly necessary cookies (session, security, consent storage) | Legitimate interests — required for the site to function |
| Analytics cookies | Consent — you can accept or refuse via the cookie banner |
| Advertising cookies | Consent — opt-in via the cookie banner |
| Site security and abuse prevention | Legitimate interests — protecting the site and other users |
| Complying with legal obligations (e.g. responding to a valid information request from law enforcement) | Legal obligation |
Where we rely on legitimate interests we have carried out a balancing test and consider that the processing does not override your rights and freedoms.
5. How We Use Your Data
We use the data described above only for the following purposes:
- To answer your questions and respond to corrections, complaints, and feedback
- To make the site work — load pages, remember your cookie choice, keep you on the same version of the site as you click around
- To understand which content is useful (anonymised, aggregated analytics)
- To support display advertising that funds the site, where you have consented
- To detect and prevent abuse, spam, and security threats
- To comply with our legal obligations under UK law
We do not sell your personal data. We do not use your data for automated decision-making with legal or similarly significant effects.
7. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies are small text files placed on your device to make the site work and, where you consent, to support analytics and advertising. Under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) and UK GDPR, we ask for your consent before placing any non-essential cookie.
The cookie banner that appears on your first visit lets you accept all, reject all, or customise by category. Your choice is saved for 12 months and you can change it at any time using the “Cookie settings” link in the footer.
For the full list of cookies, third-party services, and your control options, see our Cookie Policy.
8. How Long We Keep Your Data
| Data type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Email correspondence and contact-form messages | Up to 24 months from last contact, then deleted unless an active matter requires longer retention |
| Server access logs (IP addresses, request data) | Up to 90 days, then aggregated or deleted |
| Analytics data | Aggregated; identifiable data retained no longer than 14 months |
| Cookie consent records | 12 months from when you set your preference |
| Backups | Rotating backups deleted on a 30–90 day cycle |
Where retention is longer than this — for example, because we are required by law to keep records, or because we need them to defend a legal claim — we will retain only the minimum needed.
9. International Transfers
Some of the third-party services we use (analytics, advertising, content delivery) are operated by companies based outside the UK, including in the United States and the European Economic Area. Where personal data is transferred outside the UK, we rely on one or more of the following safeguards required by UK GDPR:
- UK adequacy regulations — for transfers to the EEA and to other countries the UK government has formally recognised as providing adequate protection
- The UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or the EU Standard Contractual Clauses with the UK Addendum, where adequacy does not apply
- The UK extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, where the recipient is a certified US company
You can ask us for a copy of the safeguards in place for any specific transfer by emailing info@bincollectionguide.org.
10. Your Rights Under UK GDPR
If you are a UK resident, you have the following rights over your personal data:
Right to be informed
To know what data we hold about you and what we do with it. This page is the primary statement.
Right of access
To request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a “subject access request”).
Right to rectification
To have inaccurate or incomplete personal data corrected.
Right to erasure
Often called the “right to be forgotten.” To have your data deleted in defined circumstances.
Right to restrict processing
To pause our processing while a question about your data is resolved.
Right to data portability
To receive certain data in a structured, machine-readable format and have it transferred elsewhere.
Right to object
To object to processing based on legitimate interests, including profiling, and to direct marketing.
Rights related to automated decision-making
We do not use automated decision-making with legal effects, but you have the right to be free from it.
Right to withdraw consent
Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.
Right to complain to the ICO
You can complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office at any time.
11. How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of the rights above, email us at info@bincollectionguide.org with the subject line “Data subject request.” Tell us which right you want to exercise and include enough information for us to identify the data you’re asking about.
We will respond within one calendar month of receiving a valid request, as required by UK GDPR. We may extend this by up to two further months for complex or numerous requests, in which case we will tell you within the first month and explain the reason for the delay.
There is no charge for a subject access request unless it is manifestly unfounded or excessive, in which case we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse to act and tell you why.
If we have any doubt about your identity, we may ask for additional information to confirm it before responding to your request. This is required by Article 12 UK GDPR and protects your data from being released to the wrong person.
12. Children
This site is not directed at children under the age of 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. The Information Commissioner’s Age Appropriate Design Code (the “Children’s Code”) sets out enhanced protections for online services likely to be accessed by children; while this site is not specifically designed for or marketed to children, we apply privacy-by-default principles consistent with the Code.
If you are a parent or guardian and you believe your child has provided personal data to us, please email us and we will delete it promptly.
13. Security
We apply technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk of the personal data we process. These include encryption of data in transit (HTTPS across the site), access controls on our administrative tools, regular software updates, secure authentication for our editorial team, and contractual security commitments from our processors.
No internet service can guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours as required by UK GDPR and, where the breach is likely to result in a high risk, we will notify affected individuals directly.
14. Complaints to the ICO
If you believe we have not handled your personal data correctly, we would like the chance to put it right — please email us first at info@bincollectionguide.org. You also have the right to complain at any time to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.
| Information Commissioner’s Office | Contact details |
|---|---|
| Address | Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF |
| Helpline | 0303 123 1113 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) |
| Website | ico.org.uk |
| Make a complaint online | ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint |
15. Changes to This Policy
We update this policy when our practices change or when the law changes. The “Last reviewed” date at the top of the page shows when the current version was published. Substantive changes — for example, a new processor or a new category of data — will be flagged on the homepage banner for at least 30 days.
This policy is read alongside our Cookie Policy, Terms of Service, and Disclaimer.
Questions About Your Data?
Email us. We respond to privacy questions within seven working days, and to formal data subject requests within the one-month UK GDPR deadline.
📧 info@bincollectionguide.org