Waste Management has created this web site privacy policy in order to demonstrate our firm commitment to your online privacy. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for Waste Management’s websites (“Sites”). Please note that when you access any external links from Waste Management’s Sites (including any Waste Management subsidiary Sites), they may have different privacy policies specific to those Sites. We encourage you to read all privacy policies posted on the web sites that you visit.
1. Personal Information Collection
Waste Management may collect personal information like name, telephone number, e-mail address, date of birth, home or business and mailing address when you access certain areas of the Waste Management Sites that require registration for certain services, or if you require more information about those services. If you decide to purchase our products or services, our third-party services providers may need to collect certain additional information, like your credit or debit card number and expiration date, bank routing and account number.
Device Information. When you are connected to our services via custom applications (apps), we may collect device-specific information such as your device model, operating system, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information. We may associate your unique device identifier or phone number with information that you may have used to register for certain services or purchase products. Server logs that are maintained by us or by our third-party service providers may contain information about the services that you have used, and your device-specific information. We may also maintain digital communication logs that track information like your phone number, calling-party number, forwarding numbers, time and date of calls, duration of calls, SMS routing information. We may use your device’s IP address or MAC address to track device-event information such as crashes, system activity, hardware settings, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request and referral URL.
Specialized Information. We may collect and store information (including personal information) locally on your device using mechanisms such as browser web storage (including HTML 5) and application data caches. Certain services may include a unique application number in connection with the installation of apps. This number and information, including, without limitation, operating system type and app version number may be sent to our service providers when you install, update or uninstall apps. We may also collect and process information about your actual location.
At other times, Waste Management may collect information that cannot be used to identify you. For example, we may aggregate non-personal information about you and other customers who visit our Sites. Aggregated information will not contain any information that can be linked directly back to you.
2. How Waste Management Collects Personal Information
Waste Management may use any number of tools to collect information about you, your computer access points, mobile devices, and the web browser that you use to connect to our Sites or digital applications. For example, “cookies” are tiny text files that we place on your computer or mobile device when you visit our Sites. We may use cookies to personalize your interactions with our Sites. You do not have to accept our cookies and you may set your browser to restrict their use and you may delete them after they have been placed on your computer or mobile devices. If you do not accept or delete our cookies, some areas of our Sites may take more time to work, or may not function properly. Under the laws of certain countries, cookies may be served, as long as individuals have provided their consent, having been given clear and comprehensive information, in particular about the purposes for which their personal data will be processed. Effective consent may be provided by using your browser settings, as long as you take positive action. Before using Waste Management Sites, you are advised to check your current browser settings to ensure that the settings reflect your consent for Waste Management to place cookies on your devices.
Waste Management may also collect additional information from your web browser each time you visit one of our Sites. We may collect information about the pages that you visit and the time spent on each web page or area of the Sites, the promotions or advertisements that you click on, and other actions that you take while using our Sites. This information may include your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, the type of browser, the time that your browser was used to access our Sites, and the referring web site’s address.
Our Internet service providers may also use other standard web-based technologies to analyze your movements while accessing our Sites. The technologies include web “beacons,” “pixel tags,” and “clear gifs.” These technologies help us ascertain the effectiveness of our product and service campaigns and marketing programs, allow us to customize the services offered on or through our Sites, and help determine the best use for Sites content, and product and service offerings. Some of this information, including the IP address, may be stored on our Internet service provider’s server logs, and may be available for extended periods of time.
3. Choice
Waste Management allows you to choose (opt out) whether your personal information is to be disclosed to a non-related third party for purposes other than Waste Management-related communications, business or services. For sensitive personal information, e.g., financial information, Waste Management will give individuals the opportunity to explicitly (opt in) consent to the disclosure of the information for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was originally collected or subsequently authorized by the individual. Waste Management shall treat sensitive personal information received from an individual the same as the individual would treat it.
4. Our Use and Disclosure of Your Personal Information
At times Waste Management may use the services of independent companies to provide certain services to you, including, without limitation, website hosting services, credit card processing, product promotions, order processing and shipping services, and visitor surveys. Waste Management may share your personal information with the Internet service providers as appropriate under our business models. We do not share personally identifiable information with non-related third parties without your consent, except to the extent necessary to complete your request for products and services offered through the Waste Management Sites.
Waste Management may use your personal information to contact you via mail, e-mail, or mobile device in order to give you updates about Waste Management’s special events, new services, payment confirmations, current information regarding our products, or other promotions that may be of interest to you. We also use return e-mail addresses to answer the e-mail we receive from you. Your e-mail address will not be shared with non-related third parties for use with their direct marketing programs, other than to comply with US laws. We may also use your IP address, or unique devices identification numbers to help protect Waste Management and our Internet service providers from fraud.
Additional uses of your non-personal and personal information will allow us to tailor products and services specific to your needs, to help organize and manage our relationship with you or your business, to conduct business, to provide you with customer and guest support, to perform functions that are described to you at the time of collection, and to enforce our Site’s Terms of Use. We reserve the right to provide non-personal identifying information, such as aggregate data, to third parties.
We may also use non-personal aggregate information to improve our Sites. For example, our Internet Service providers may report to us that there were a particular number of visitors to a certain area of our Sites, or that a certain number of businesses or a certain number of individuals completed our registration forms in particular areas of our Sites. Such information may also be used to analyze the effectiveness of our business and advertising models.
If you submit a resume or seek to fulfill other staffing requirements, we will use that information solely in connection with your application for current or future staffing requirements, and we may also share your resume or application information with our business partners or affiliates that have staffing requirements for which you may be qualified.
Waste Management may also disclose your personal information as is necessary to: (a) comply with a subpoena or court order; (b) cooperate with law enforcement or other government agencies; (c) establish or exercise our legal rights; (d) protect the property or safety of our company and employees, contractors, vendors, suppliers, and customers; (e) defend against legal claims; (f) help with internal and external investigations; or (g) as otherwise required by law or permitted by law. We may disclose your information in connection with the sale or merger of a Waste Management company or any transaction that involves the sale or assignment of some or all of our assets.
5. Data Storage and Security
Waste Management makes reasonable efforts to ensure that our Internet service providers have implemented physical, electronic, and procedural security measures to assist with safeguarding your personal information, and to help protect against unauthorized access and disclosure. Only our authorized personnel and our Internet service providers who perform legitimate business functions for Waste Management are authorized to access your personal information. Notwithstanding our efforts, the Internet has inherent security risks. Waste Management cannot promise, and you should not expect, that your personal information, personal searches, and other communications will always remain secure. You should take care with regard to how you handle and disclose your personal information or any username or password that you are required to use to access services on our Sites.
6. Children and Data Collection
Waste Management’s Sites are general audience Sites. Waste Management’s Site content is not directed toward children who are under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children or minors. If Waste Management or its Internet service providers become aware that a child has provided us with personal information without parental consent, that information will be deleted from our databases. If you have questions about personal information that may have been submitted by a child, please email us at privacyofficer@wm.com
7. Notice to California Residents
We will not share any personal information about you with non-related third-parties for their direct marketing purposes to the extent prohibited by California law, unless you agree otherwise as authorized by your prior written consent.
California residents have the right to request information from us regarding the manner that we may share personal information with affiliated companies and third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To find out what and how we share such information, you may send us an e-mail request at privacyofficer@wm.com or mail a request to:
Privacy Officer,
Waste Management Corporate Headquarters
1001 Fannin St., Suite 4000
Houston, Texas 77002, and receive the following information:
- The categories of information we disclosed to third parties for their direct marketing purposes during the preceding calendar year, if any;
- The names and addresses of the third parties who received information for their direct marketing purposes; and
- Examples of the products and services subject to the third-parties’ direct marketing programs, if the nature of the third parties’ business cannot be determined from their names.
8. How You May Access and Change the Information that Waste Management Collects
The first time that you provide us with registration information through our Sites, you may be offered the opportunity to subscribe to and receive additional information about our products and services. After your first use, you can change your initial choices by contacting our customer service e-mail at privacyofficer@wm.com. Each commercial e-mail that we send to you will offer you the opportunity to opt-out of continuing to receive such messages. We may take up to 10 business days to process your opt-out requests. In some instances, we may have already shared your information with one of our authorized third parties before you changed your information preferences, and you may briefly continue to receive e-mail even after you have opted out. FTC e-mail compliance guidance allows us to send you transactional and relationship e-mail without offering you the opportunity to opt-out of receiving those types of e-mail. You may also write to us at:
Waste Management, Attn: Privacy Officer
1001 Fannin St., Suite 4000
Houston, Texas 77002
For those Site users located in Canada, we are required by law to advise you that your personal information may, at times, be accessible by individuals who are located worldwide. By providing us with your personal information, you are consenting to our use of it in accordance with Waste Management’s privacy policy, including the transfer of your personal information across international boundaries to jurisdictions anywhere in the world as permitted by local law, including, without limitation the United States.
9. Data Integrity
Waste Management will only process personal information in a way that is compatible with and relevant for the purpose for which it was collected or authorized by you. To the extent necessary for those purposes, Waste Management will take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is accurate, complete, current and reliable for its intended use.
10. Enforcement
Waste Management uses a self-assessment approach to assure compliance with this privacy policy and periodically verifies that the policy is accurate, comprehensive for the information intended to be covered, by our privacy principles. We encourage interested persons to raise any concerns using the contact information provided and we will investigate and attempt to resolve any complaints or disputes regarding the use and disclosure of personal information in accordance with the principles.
11. General Information and Privacy Support Contact
Waste Management may update this privacy policy from time to time, and you should take the time to review it each time that you visit one of our Sites. Waste Management is committed to protecting your personal privacy. If you have questions or comments about our efforts to protect your personal privacy, or if you require additional information about Waste Management’s privacy commitment, please contact us at privacyofficer@wm.com.