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Privacy Policy

Last updated: 12 October 2026

Waste4Change (“Waste4Change”, “we”, “us” or “our”) operates a recycling platform in South Africa. Reclaimers and accumulators sell recyclable materials at collection facilities, build up a wallet balance, and withdraw or spend it. Facilities, producer responsibility organisations and financing partners use the platform to run their operations. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the rights you have. It applies to this website, the Waste4Change web app, our mobile apps and our WhatsApp service. We process personal information in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

1. Who is responsible for your information

Waste4Change is the responsible party for the personal information described here. If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your information, contact us at admin@waste4change.co.za.

Collection facilities, producer responsibility organisations and financing partners that use the platform may also be responsible parties for the information they capture or receive for their own purposes. They must handle that information in line with POPIA and their own privacy notices.

2. Who this policy covers

This policy applies to everyone who uses or interacts with Waste4Change:

  • Reclaimers — individuals who collect and sell recyclable materials.
  • Accumulators — individuals and small businesses that buy, aggregate and sell recyclable materials.
  • Facility users — owners, managers and staff of collection facilities, buy-back centres and material recovery facilities, on the web portal and the Waste4Change Facility mobile app.
  • Producer responsibility organisation (PRO) users — staff of PROs that fund and report on recycling.
  • Financing partner users — staff of organisations that provide assets, equipment or cash advances to reclaimers.
  • Buyers and business contacts — contact people at buyers, off-takers, recyclers and brand partners whose details a facility or we record.
  • Waste4Change staff — our own administrators and support team.
  • Invited and referred people — people whose name or phone number another user gives us so that we can invite them.
  • Website visitors — people who visit this website or send us a message through it.

3. Information we collect

3.1 Information about all platform users

  • Account details — your name, mobile phone number, email address (where you give one), profile photo (optional), and the role or roles you have on the platform.
  • Sign-in and security data — the time and method of each sign-in, whether it succeeded, your IP address, and your browser or device type. We also send one-time PINs by SMS or email to confirm your identity.
  • Messages and support — the content of support requests, feedback (including any screenshots or recordings you attach), and messages you exchange with us over WhatsApp, SMS or email.
  • Technical data — basic log information that we need to operate the service securely and to fix faults.

3.2 Reclaimers

  • Identity details — your South African ID number or passport number, and any alternative phone numbers you give us.
  • Registration details — your South African Waste Picker Registration System (SAWPRS) number and registration status, where you give us permission to check it or the facility registers it.
  • Recycling activity — the facilities you sell to, the materials you sell, weights, prices and the value credited to your wallet.
  • Wallet data — your wallet balance, statement, withdrawals, airtime, data and electricity purchases, and any adjustments.
  • Payout details — your eWallet number or bank account details (bank, branch, account number, account type and account holder name). When you add a bank account, we check with the bank (through our payment partner) that the account exists and matches your name and ID number.
  • Financing data — if you take part in a financing or asset programme: the programme, the assets or advance you receive, amounts owed and repaid, and your agreement. When you sign an agreement, we record your typed or drawn signature, the time, your IP address and device, and (where the programme requires it) a photo of you taken at signing.
  • Referral data — who referred you, or the people you refer, and any rewards earned.

3.3 Accumulators

We collect the same information as for reclaimers. Where you trade as a business, we also collect your business name, trading name, company registration number, VAT number and business address.

3.4 Facility users

  • Your details — your name, email address, phone number and the facilities and roles you have access to.
  • Facility details — the facility name, address, contact person, logo and branding, material prices, stock, bales, documents, top-ups and invoices.
  • Activity records — the transactions, sales, adjustments and other records that you capture, and which staff member captured them.
  • Accounting connections — if your facility connects an accounting system (for example Xero or Sage), the connection tokens and the contact and invoice data that we sync.
  • Mobile app — the Waste4Change Facility app asks for permission to use the camera (to scan codes) and Bluetooth (to connect to receipt and label printers). On Android, the system requires location permission to search for Bluetooth devices. We do not collect or store your location. The app stores some data on the device so that it can work without signal, and sends it to us when it reconnects.

Facility users capture personal information about the reclaimers and accumulators they serve. Facilities must collect only what the platform needs and keep it confidential.

3.5 PRO and financing partner users

  • Your details — your name, email address and the organisation you represent.
  • Organisation details — the organisation name, registration number, contact person, contact email and phone number, website, and (for financing partners) the bank details we use to pay withdrawals.
  • Activity records — affiliations with facilities, material registrations, reports, top-ups, claims, programmes, enrolments and agreements.

3.6 Buyers and business contacts

Facilities record the buyers and off-takers they sell to. This can include a contact person’s name, phone number and email address, and the prices and sales linked to that buyer.

3.7 Invited and referred people

When a facility, partner or another user invites or refers you, they give us your name and phone number or email address. We use this information only to send you the invitation and to link your account when you join. If you do not join, we delete it when we no longer need it.

3.8 Website visitors

  • Contact form — when you send us a message, we collect your name, email address, role, phone number (optional) and your message. We use this only to reply to you, and we send it to our team by email.
  • Technical data — our hosting provider records basic request logs (for example your IP address and browser type) to deliver the website and keep it secure. The website loads fonts from Google Fonts, so Google receives your IP address when the page loads.

4. Where we get your information

  • From you, when you register, use the service or contact us.
  • From the facility where you sell materials, when it registers you or records a sale.
  • From the organisation you work for, when it creates your account or invites you.
  • From third parties, for example bank account verification results from our payment partner and registration status from SAWPRS.

5. How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

  • create and manage your account, and confirm your identity;
  • record the recyclables you sell or buy, and credit the correct value to the correct wallet;
  • process withdrawals, and buy airtime, data and electricity that you ask for;
  • run financing and asset programmes, including deductions that you agreed to;
  • give facilities, PROs and financing partners the records and reports they need to run their operations and meet their legal obligations (for example extended producer responsibility reporting);
  • send you service messages, for example a receipt, a payment confirmation, a one-time PIN or an invitation;
  • respond to your questions and messages, and give support;
  • keep the platform secure, prevent fraud and errors, and meet our legal, tax and regulatory obligations;
  • produce statistics about recycling volumes. Where we publish or share statistics outside the platform, we remove details that identify you.

We process your information because it is necessary to provide the service you asked for, to meet our legal obligations, for our legitimate interests in running a secure and accurate platform, or because you gave us consent. Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.

6. WhatsApp and messaging

We offer a WhatsApp service so you can check your balance, view recent payments, and get help. When you message us on WhatsApp, your messages are delivered through the WhatsApp Business Platform operated by Meta. Meta processes those messages to deliver them, subject to its own privacy policy. We only use the phone number and message content you provide to identify your account and reply to you. We do not sell your WhatsApp messages or use them for advertising.

7. Who can see your information on the platform

  • Reclaimers and accumulators — the facilities you sell to can see your profile, sales and payout status. If you join a financing or asset programme, the financing partner can see the details it needs to manage your participation. PROs can see recycling volumes and, where they fund rebates or fees, the records that support those payments.
  • Facility, PRO and partner users — other users in your organisation can see the records you capture. Organisations you work with on the platform can see your name and contact details where they need them.
  • Waste4Change staff — authorised staff can see the information they need to support users, check payments and keep the platform secure. Access depends on their role.

8. Who we share your information with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only where necessary to run the service, with:

  • Payment providers — our payout partner (PayAccSys), banks, and mobile-money, airtime and prepaid providers (including SmartCall), so that we can verify bank accounts, pay withdrawals and deliver purchases.
  • Messaging providers — Meta (WhatsApp), our SMS provider (SMSPortal) and our email provider (Resend), to deliver messages.
  • Registration bodies — SAWPRS, to check the registration status of reclaimers.
  • Accounting systems — the accounting system that a facility chooses to connect, for that facility’s own records.
  • Service providers — our hosting and infrastructure providers (including Supabase, Vercel and Google Fonts), and Anthropic, which powers the data assistant in the facility portal. These providers process data on our behalf under contract and appropriate safeguards.
  • Professional advisers and auditors — where they need it to advise or audit us.
  • Authorities — where the law requires it, or to protect our rights and the safety of users.
  • A buyer of our business — if we sell or restructure our business, under the same protections as this policy.

9. Information sent outside South Africa

Some of our service providers store or process data outside South Africa. When this happens, we make sure that the provider is subject to laws, binding rules or a contract that give a level of protection similar to POPIA, as section 72 of POPIA requires.

10. Cookies and similar technology

This website does not use advertising or tracking cookies. Our web app and mobile apps use cookies and device storage that are necessary to keep you signed in, remember your choices, and keep the service secure. We do not sell data to advertisers.

11. How we protect your information

We apply technical and organisational measures appropriate to the sensitivity of the data. Personal information is encrypted in transit and at rest. Access is restricted to authorised people on a role-based basis, and each organisation can see only its own records. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and to detect and respond to incidents. If a security breach affects your personal information, we will tell you and the Information Regulator as POPIA requires.

12. How long we keep your information

We keep your personal information for as long as your account is active and for as long afterwards as we need it to meet legal, accounting, and regulatory requirements (for example, financial and transaction records that we are obliged to retain). Financing agreements and signatures are kept for as long as the agreement can be enforced. We keep contact form messages for as long as we need them to deal with your enquiry. When we no longer need information, we delete or anonymise it.

13. Your rights

Under POPIA you have the right to:

  • ask what personal information we hold about you, and get a copy;
  • ask us to correct or update information that is wrong or outdated;
  • object to certain processing and ask us to delete your information (see our Data Deletion page);
  • withdraw consent that you gave us;
  • stop direct marketing messages at any time (we only send these with your consent);
  • lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at admin@waste4change.co.za, or ask in the app under Help & support. If a facility, PRO or financing partner holds information about you for its own purposes, you can also contact it directly. We may ask you to confirm your identity before we act on a request.

14. Children

The service is intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without the consent of a parent or guardian. If you believe we have done so, contact us and we will remove it.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will change the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where the change is significant, we will let you know through the service.

16. Contact us

For any privacy question or request, email us at admin@waste4change.co.za.