Waste Services Privacy Notice

Waste Services Privacy Notice

This notice is designed to explain how and why information about you will be used by Oxfordshire County Council’s, Waste and Circular Economy Team (“us” or “we”). 

We may update this privacy notice at any time and may also notify you in other ways from time to time about the ways we use your information.

How and why we collect and hold personal data about you

We collect and hold personal information relating to waste disposal services we provide as part of our statutory functions.

We use different systems we use to provide these services include the booking system at the household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) , the van and trailer permit scheme, DIY and asbestos bookings and declaration forms. We also look after the waste wizard search tool, run surveys and competitions and respond to feedback and complaints. 

We use the information to:

• Provide you with necessary and appropriate services
• Help us to develop and improve our services
• Complete statistical returns to Government and internal departments

We process personal data in order to carry out duties necessary to comply with our legal obligations for the collection of household waste in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) 1990.

What information do we collect about you?

• your contact details - for example your name, email address, telephone number and postal address
• your vehicle details - for example your vehicle registration plate number, make and type of vehicle etc
• the type of waste you are depositing at the recycling centres (for example whether it is household, DIY or asbestos)
• under certain circumstances we may request copies of waste transfer notes to ascertain what process you’re following to dispose of your commercial waste
• when carrying out projects which involve door knocking or conducting surveys, we may ask you questions and feedback on our services or your behaviours and activities in association with the waste hierarchy (reduce, reuse, repair, recycle and dispose)

Who we share data with

• Generally, we will not use your information without your permission for purposes not directly related to the services we provide, however it may be necessary to share your information where services are operated by a third party organisation. For example with our district council partners, our contractors W&S Recycling or FCC Environment who operate the household waste recycling centre (HWRC) services or when it’s necessary to share your information by law in the following instances:
• Your health or safety, or that of others, is at risk;
• It is in the public interest to do so;
• It will help to detect or prevent crime or illegal activity;
• We are required to comply with a legal obligation. 

We will not:

• sell or rent your data to third parties
• share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

How long will we keep your information?

We will retain your information as long as it’s required to provide a high quality service, unless we are required to keep it longer for legal reasons. 

In some instances, we will keep your information for up to three years. 

Your rights

You have the right to:

1. Ask to see the information that we hold about you (also known as a Subject Access Request)
2. Ask us to change the information we hold about you if it is wrong
3. Ask us to delete the information we hold about you
4. Ask us to limit the way we use your information
5. Complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office

To exercise your data subject rights please contact the waste team waste.management@oxfordshire.gov.uk. 

Booking system

A booking system will be in place from 14 January 2026 to deliver operational, environmental and financial benefits, including:

• Better management of the flow of customers, reducing queues and local traffic disruption.
• Allowing the site teams more time to proactively assist customers and maximise the amount of material sent for recycling, rather than disposal as residual waste which is far more costly.
• Enable direct, targeted communication to customers on matters relating to their scheduled visit.
• Help with the identification and prevention of trade abuse 

Key information will be input by you when you make a booking (see section ‘What information do we collect from you’). If you’re unable to make a booking online, please ask a friend or family member for help, or you can contact the customer contact centre who can make a booking on your behalf. This information will enable the teams at the HWRCs to identify you via your vehicle registration and mark your visit off accordingly. 

Through the system, you will provide information on whether you’re an out of county resident visiting an Oxfordshire HWRC, if you’re planning to deposit DIY waste or making a booking to bring your asbestos to the HWRC. 

We will contact you through the system with confirmations or information relevant to your visit.

Van and trailer permits

The permit system is in place for householders who wish to visit their HWRC in a van, or towing a trailer with a car. More information on the scheme can be found here.  

The scheme is in place to prevent the abuse of commercial entities using the HWRCs. Information and usage may be monitored and shared with third parties listed above. 

Body worn video cameras and CCTV cameras in use at HWRCs

The body-worn video cameras and CCTV are used across the HWRC network to capture personal data, such as images, while the body-worn video cameras also capture audio recordings. 

The purpose is to ensure a safe environment for the staff and members of the public on the sites. Each body worn video camera is fully encrypted, and footage may be shared with appropriate bodies to pursue action/enforcement following an incident.

The footage can be used:

• To protect site operatives and visitors at the recycling centres
• To reduce incidents of violence and aggression to site operatives
• To support and share information with the Police in reducing and detecting crime
• As part of an investigation to take enforcement action in line with the regulatory areas our partners enforce (where necessary)
• To check against CCTV to contact DVLA for registered keeper details.
• To enable thorough investigation of complaints from members of the public as there is a record of what was said by all involved parties
• As evidence of physical or verbal abuse of staff
• To reduce confrontational situations and the escalation of incidents experienced by site operatives, incidents of violence and aggression to site operatives and to promote the safety of the site teams.

The lawful basis for processing falls under article 6(1)(e) processing as ‘necessary for the performance of a public task in the public interest’ being the lawful basis on which we collect and use your personal information. Article 6(1)(e): performance of a public task in the public interest.

Prize draws and competition

We occasionally run prize draws as Oxfordshire County Council, Oxfordshire Recycles or with partners. Any information we collect through this activity will only be used to contact the winner(s) from the prize draw. 

Each prize draw which we run will have its own terms and conditions which contains information pertinent to it. 

Who can you contact with questions or complaints 

Please speak to your usual contact in the council in the first instance. If you are still unsatisfied, you may contact the council’s Data Protection Officer as follows:

Information Management Team
Oxfordshire County Council
County Hall
New Road
Oxford
OX1 1ND

dataprotectionofficer@oxfordshire.gov.uk

You can also complete the online complaints form on our website.

You also have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner’s Office which is the UK regulatory authority for data protection issues:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

www.ico.org.uk or telephone 0303 123 1113.

We will need to update this privacy notice from time to time. We will maintain a latest version number and you can ask us about this notice or check online at any time.

This information can be made available in other formats if required.