Effective date: 01 September 2025
This Privacy Policy explains how 3H Family (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, and protects your information when you use the mobile application Merton Bin Reminder (the “App”). We are committed to complying with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information you provide
- Address/Postcode – to look up local waste collection schedules for your property.
- Reminder preferences – notification settings, preferred reminder time(s), text size or accessibility preferences.
1.2 Information we collect automatically
- Device identifiers – a resettable app-scoped identifier such as
ANDROID_ID(Android) or an installation ID. We do not collect hardware identifiers like IMEI or MAC address. - Usage and diagnostics – basic in-app events, crash logs, and performance data (e.g., through Google Play services / Crashlytics if enabled).
- Network information – IP address and request metadata when the App contacts our servers or public data sources.
1.3 Optional information (with your permission)
- Calendar access (write-only) – if you enable the feature to add bin collection events to your personal calendar. We do not read your existing calendar entries.
- Notifications – the App requests permission to send reminders for upcoming bin days. You can change this at any time in system settings.
We do not collect sensitive personal data (e.g., financial, health, biometric data) and we do not sell personal data.
2. How We Use Your Information
- To provide core App features (bin day lookup, reminders, calendar entries).
- To personalise and improve the App (e.g., saving preferences such as text size).
- To maintain the App, diagnose issues, and prevent abuse or misuse.
- To communicate important service notices (e.g., schedule changes or outages).
3. Legal Bases (UK GDPR)
- Performance of a contract – providing the App’s core functionality.
- Legitimate interests – analytics, debugging, and security.
- Consent – for optional features such as notifications, location, and calendar write access.
4. Sharing Your Information
We may share limited data with service providers who process data on our behalf (e.g., hosting, analytics, crash reporting). These providers are bound by data processing agreements and may only process data according to our instructions. We do not share personal data with third parties for their marketing purposes.
5. Data Retention
We keep data only as long as necessary for the purposes described above:
- Address and schedule cache – stored locally on your device and refreshed as needed.
- Reminder settings – kept until you delete the App or reset the App data.
- Diagnostics/analytics – retained per provider’s standard retention periods (typically 90 days – 24 months).
6. International Transfers
Your information may be processed in the UK, EEA, or other countries where our service providers operate. Where transfers occur, we rely on appropriate safeguards (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses) as required by law.
7. Your Rights
Subject to conditions and legal limitations, you have the right to request access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and to object to certain processing. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
To exercise your rights, please contact us using the details below.
8. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure.
9. Children’s Privacy
The App is intended for general audiences and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
10. Third-Party Services
The App may link to third-party sites (e.g., your local council’s website). Your use of such services is subject to their privacy policies. If we use analytics or crash reporting (e.g., Google Firebase/Crashlytics), processing is governed by those providers’ policies.
11. Permissions Used
- Notifications – to send bin day reminders.
- Location (optional) – to help find your address (approximate or precise, if enabled).
- Calendar write access (optional) – to create bin day events in your calendar; we do not read your calendar.
- Network access – to retrieve collection schedules and service updates.
12. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the latest version in-app and update the “Effective date” above.
13. Contact Us
Controller: 3H Family
Email: app-support@3hfamily.co.uk