Last updated: 26 March 2026
1. What Are Cookies
Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently and to provide information to website owners.
2. Cookie Consent
When you first visit WasteFindr, a cookie consent banner is displayed at the bottom of the page. You may:
- Accept All: Enable all cookie categories (essential, analytics, and functional)
- Essential Only: Allow only cookies required for the platform to function
- Manage Preferences: Individually toggle analytics and functional cookies on or off
Your preference is saved locally on your device under the key wastefindr_cookie_consent and includes a timestamp of when the choice was made. The consent banner only appears once per browser session if no choice has been made (using sessionStorage). You can reset your preferences at any time by clearing your browser cookies and revisiting the site.
3. How We Use Cookies
3.1 Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the Platform to function properly. They include:
- Authentication cookies: To keep you signed in and maintain your session (managed via our authentication provider)
- Security cookies: To protect against cross-site request forgery and enforce session management (including concurrent session detection for business accounts)
- Cookie consent preference: To remember your cookie consent choice
- Banner dismissal: A sessionStorage flag to prevent the consent banner from reappearing within the same browser session
Essential cookies are always active and cannot be disabled.
3.2 Analytics Cookies
We use analytics cookies (when you consent) to understand how visitors interact with the Platform. This helps us improve the user experience. These cookies collect information such as:
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- How you arrived at WasteFindr (e.g., search engine, direct link)
- Browser and device information
3.3 Functional Cookies
These cookies (when you consent) enable enhanced functionality such as:
- Remembering your search preferences and location
- Storing recently viewed businesses
- Auto-filling forms with previously entered information
4. Third-Party Cookies
Some cookies on WasteFindr are set by third-party services we use, including:
- Analytics providers: To help us understand Platform usage (only when you consent to analytics cookies)
- Authentication services: To manage user sign-in securely
- Payment processing: Stripe may set cookies when processing online invoice payments
These third parties have their own privacy policies governing how they use your data.
5. Local Storage & Session Storage
In addition to cookies, WasteFindr uses browser local storage and session storage for:
- Cookie consent preferences: Your cookie consent choice and timestamp (localStorage)
- Authentication tokens: Secure session tokens for maintaining your login state (localStorage)
- Session identifiers: For concurrent session detection and management (localStorage)
- Banner dismissal flag: Prevents the cookie consent banner from reappearing within a single browser session (sessionStorage)
6. Managing Cookies
You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:
- View what cookies are stored and delete them individually
- Block third-party cookies
- Block cookies from specific sites
- Block all cookies
- Delete all cookies when you close your browser
Please note that blocking essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features of WasteFindr, such as signing in or saving preferences.
7. Cookie Retention
Cookies are retained for varying periods depending on their purpose:
- Session cookies: Deleted when you close your browser
- Persistent cookies: Retained for up to 12 months, depending on the cookie
- Authentication cookies: Retained for the duration of your login session (sessions expire after 1 hour of inactivity)
- Cookie consent preference: Retained until you clear your browser's local storage
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in technology, legislation, or our data practices. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
9. Contact Us
If you have any questions about our use of cookies, please contact us at hello@wastefindr.co.uk.