🔒 Privacy Policy & Data Retention Policy

SmartBins Ireland (smartbins.ie) & BinBot Automated Resident Services • Last Updated: August 2026

1. Overview & Data Controller

SmartBins Ireland operates communal electronic smart waste facilities, smart latch hardware, and the BinBot automated resident communication assistant on behalf of residential apartment developments and Owners' Management Companies (OMCs).

We are committed to protecting your privacy in full accordance with the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988–2018 and the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679).

2. What Information We Collect

To provide electronic bin store access and real-time residential waste guidance, we process:

Contact Identifiers: Your mobile phone number and/or email address.
Residential Property Verification: Your property address / apartment number to link access to your development's authorized bins.
Security Credentials: A 4-digit security PIN assigned to unlock hardware keypads.
Service Messages & Inquiries: Communications sent via SMS, WhatsApp, Email, or the BinBot App.
Photos & Attachments: Images submitted voluntarily for contamination checks or waste recyclability verification.

3. Configurable Message Retention & Auto-Deletion (Delete After X Days)

In accordance with the GDPR principle of Data Minimization and Storage Limitation (Article 5(1)(e)), BinBot includes automated message expiration controls.

⏳ User-Configurable Auto-Deletion

Residents and administrators can configure an automatic message retention period (e.g., 7 Days, 14 Days, 30 Days, 90 Days, or Disabled). Once a message's age exceeds the selected retention window, it is automatically and permanently purged from active Firestore databases and Cloud Storage.

💾 Permanent Message Saving Exemption

You have the ability to explicitly Save / Pin individual important messages (such as access PIN confirmations, building notices, or key instructions). Any message designated as "Saved" is strictly exempted from automatic deletion sweeps and will be preserved securely until you choose to unpin or delete it.

4. Right to Erasure & Account Deletion (GDPR Article 17)

You have the absolute right to request immediate erasure of all your personal data at any time:

Instant SMS Opt-out: Reply STOP to any BinBot SMS or WhatsApp message at any time. The system will immediately de-register your phone number, revoke smart bin access credentials, and purge all your message history.
Email Erasure Request: Email support@smartbins.ie or reply to any BinBot email with the subject "STOP" or "ERASE DATA".

5. Security & Data Protection Measures

All communications and authentication credentials are encrypted in transit via TLS/HTTPS and stored with AES-256 encryption at rest on Google Cloud / Firebase infrastructure in European Union data centers (europe-west2). Access to console logs and messages is strictly role-restricted to verified property management personnel.

6. Contact & Data Protection Inquiries

For any privacy inquiries or to exercise your GDPR rights (Access, Rectification, Restriction, Portability, Erasure), please contact our Data Protection representative:

Website: https://smartbins.ie
Support Email: support@smartbins.ie
Automated Help: binbot@smartbins.ie