privacy policy

This policy describes the personal information White Coat Waste Project, Inc. (WCW) collects about you, why we collect it, how we use it, and when we may share it with third parties.

This policy covers our online experiences including our websites. Our policy also describes how we collect and use your information. If our information practices change, we will post an updated policy on our website. This Policy does not apply to WCW’s presence on a third-party social networking site or any mobile applications not offered for download on this Website – please see the privacy statements at those locations to learn how your information will be handled. You can tell if this policy has changed by checking the revision date that appears above. If we change the policy in a material way, we will provide appropriate notice to you. You may exercise your choices about how we use your information consistent with this policy at any time.

If you have any questions about our privacy policy, please contact us support@whitecoatwaste.org.

What kind of information does WCW collect?
We may collect personal information from you, such as your name, email address, postal address, phone number, credit card number, gender, birthday, personal interests, etc., when you engage in activities such as visiting our website, making a donation online, saving your information with us online, contacting us with a question or concern, or participating in a contest, promotion, or survey.

We may combine personal information with information about your online transactions and other interactions with us, including your donations. We may also combine your personal information with information we receive from other sources, such as joint marketing partners, public databases, publicly available pages on social media platforms and other third parties. In addition, as permitted by the social media site, if you choose to engage in social sharing, the social media site may share information with us about your use of their services, including profile information, information about your contacts and content you have viewed or liked. Please refer to the social media site’s privacy settings to control how your information is shared.

If you submit any personal information relating to other people to us or to our service providers, you represent that you have the authority to do so and to permit us to use the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Information Use and Sharing: 

Use of Personal Information: We will not use your personal information unless we are providing services or we are using it in furtherance of our charitable activities. For example, we may use this information for the following purposes:

  • To communicate with you and to send you information by email, postal mail, telephone, text message, or other means about our activities, contests, and promotions, including marketing communications that we believe may be of interest to you
  • To communicate with other persons using the contact information you provide, such as when you designate another person as the recipient of a refer-a-friend message
  • To make your website experience easier, more enjoyable, and more efficient
  • To address problems with and improve our services and technologies, as well as to develop new services and technologies
  • To facilitate social sharing
  • To administer and fulfill our contests and other promotions
  • To prevent, detect, mitigate and investigate fraud, security breaches, and activities that are or potentially may be prohibited or illegal
  • To enforce our Terms of Use or other policies
  • As we believe to be required or appropriate to protect the rights, property, safety, and security of WCW and our employees, supporters, and others
  • As we believe to be required or appropriate under applicable law, to respond to requests from government authorities and to comply with legal process

You always have the choice not to receive marketing information or calls. For instructions on opting out, please see the section entitled, “How do I make choices about receiving promotional communications?”, below.

Sharing of Personal Information: We will not share your personal information, except under the following circumstances:

  • If you donate to WCW, sign a petition, or voluntarily submit information through our website or by phone or mail, we may share your name, postal address, email address, and donation history with like-minded organizations for their marketing purposes. We also do not share personal information about supporters who only browse or email comments. If you would prefer that we not share information about you with other companies, please let us know by contacting us as described in the section entitled, “How do I contact you?”, below.
  • You may disclose personal information when you post content to our website or other public forums, such as our brand’s social media pages and blogs. Any information that you disclose through these services will become public.
  • Your personal information may be disclosed in connection with your social sharing activity. By engaging in social sharing activity, you authorize us to share information with your social media account provider, and you understand that the use of the information we share will be governed by the social media site’s privacy policy.
  • We may share your information with our service providers who manage our supporter information and perform services on our behalf, such as fulfilling promotions, sending communications to our supporters, conducting surveys, etc. We do not authorize any of these service providers to make any other use or disclosure of your information.
  • We may share your information when we team up with another company to offer or provide services, contests, or promotions to our supporters.
  • Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties unless required by law.
  • We may share information about you if necessary or appropriate, in our good faith judgment, to comply with laws or regulations or in response to a valid subpoena, order, or government request, or to protect the operations, privacy, safety, property, or rights of WCW or others, including without your express consent.
  • We also may share information about you as described at the point of collection or otherwise pursuant to your consent.

What other information does WCW collect?
We may collect information that does not reveal your specific identity or does not directly relate to an individual, such as the browser and device information; information collected through cookies, pixel tags and other technologies, demographic information and other information provided by you; and aggregated information.

We may use and disclose such information for any lawful purpose. If required, we will treat such information as personal information in accordance with this policy. We will also treat such information as personal information to the extent it is combined with personal information.

We may collect information in a variety of ways, including:

  • Your browser or device: Certain information is collected by most browsers or automatically through your devices, such as your Media Access Control (MAC) address, computer type (Windows or Macintosh), screen resolution, operating system name and version, device manufacturer and model, language, Internet browser type and version, and browser click-through and usage data.
  • Cookies: Cookies are pieces of information stored directly on the computer that you are using. Our websites, online advertisements, and emails use cookies, pixel tags, and other technologies to automatically collect information about your interactions, such as browser type, pages viewed, links clicked, and other actions you take in connection with our websites, online ads, and email. We may use the information for a variety of purposes, including to facilitate navigation, to display information more effectively, to personalize your experience, to understand how our websites are used, to market our activities, to measure the success of our marketing campaigns, and for security purposes. To learn how we use cookies for advertising, please see the section, “How is my information used for behavioral or targeted advertising and what choices do I have?” below. If you do not want information collected through the use of cookies, there is a simple procedure in most browsers that allow you to automatically decline cookies or be given the choice of declining or accepting the transfer to your computer of a particular cookie (or cookies) from a particular site. If you do not accept cookies, you may experience some inconvenience in your use of our sites.
  • Using pixel tags and other similar technologies: We may use pixel tags to, among other things, track the actions of users of our sites and services (including email recipients), measure the success of our marketing campaigns, and compile statistics about usage of our sites and services and response rates.
  • Analytics: We may use third-party service providers, including Google and Adobe, which use cookies and similar technologies to collect and analyze information about use of our websites. This service may also collect information regarding the use of other websites, apps and online resources. You can learn about Google’s practices at google.com/policies/privacy/partners/, and opt-out by using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. You can learn about Adobe’s practices and opt-out at adobe.com/privacy/opt-out.html.
  • IP Address: Your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address is a number that is automatically assigned to the computer that you are using by your Internet service provider. An IP address may be identified and logged automatically in our server log files whenever you access our websites, along with the time of the visit and the pages that were visited. Your IP address may also indicate your approximate physical location. Collecting IP addresses is standard practice and is done automatically by many websites, applications and other technologies. We use IP addresses for purposes such as calculating usage levels and diagnosing server problem
  • Location Information: When you use our website, we may use automated technology to collect information indicating the physical location of your device, such as GPS data, cell phone tower data, Wi-Fi signals, or your device’s IP address. We may use and disclose your location information as described elsewhere in this notice. For example, we may use your device’s physical location to provide you with personalized location-based services and content.
  • Aggregated information: We may collect and use aggregated personal information, which does not personally identify you. For example, we may calculate the percentage of our site users who have a particular telephone area code.

How do I access or change my information?
You can ask us to update your personal information by contacting us as described in the section entitled, “How do I contact you?”, below. Please note that any request to update your personal information may take up to 10 days for your email request and 6-8 weeks for your postal mail request.

How does WCW protect kids’ privacy?
WCW is concerned about the privacy and safety of children when they use the Internet. We will never knowingly request personally identifiable information online from anyone under the age of 13 without prior verifiable parental consent. Our websites are general audience sites and are not targeted to or intended for use by children. When a user discloses Personal Information on the Website, or any Related Project Website, he or she is representing his or her age as at least thirteen years.

How is my information used for behavioral or targeted advertising and what choices do I have?
We also work with third-party companies that use their tracking technologies (including cookies and pixel tags) on our websites in order to provide tailored advertisements on our behalf and on behalf of other advertisers across the Internet. These companies may collect information over time about your activity on our sites and other sites and your interaction with our advertising and other communications and use this information to determine which ads you see on third-party websites and applications. These technologies and the information collected about you may also be used to track your activity across multiple devices.

Please note that even if you opt-out, these tracking technologies may still collect data and you will still see ads, but they will not be targeted based upon the information collected through these tracking technologies.

How do I know my personal information is secure?
We have in place certain physical, electronic, contractual, and managerial safeguards to help protect the security and privacy of your personal information.

When you enter your personal information on our websites, we use encryption technology to protect your information as it is transmitted to us. We have taken steps designed to protect your Personal Information, and we require our service providers to take similar precautions. Nonetheless, we cannot guarantee that your Personal Information will not be accessed without authorization. Please note that Personal Information sent over an unsecured Internet connection could be obtained by third parties. By using our Website, you acknowledge and agree that (i) we make no guarantee as to the safety and security of your Personal Information and (ii) you visit and interact with our Website at your own risk.

What about links to other websites?
For your convenience and information, our websites may contain links to other sites, which may have privacy policies that differ from our own. We are not responsible for the content or practices of any linked site. We recommend that you review the privacy policy of any site that you access through our sites.

Contests, Sweepstakes and Other Promotions: On our site, you may wish to participate in contests, sweepstakes and other promotions that we may offer from time to time. Through these promotions, you may choose to participate in activities such as sharing information found on our site with others and sending e-mail invitations. In connection with any contests, sweepstakes, and other promotions that we may offer from time to time via our site, we use the information you provide to administer the contests, sweepstakes, and other promotions. Subject to applicable contractual or legal restrictions, we also may use the information to communicate with you, or the other people you select, about our products and services or our service providers or agents partners may use such information to communicate with you about the contests, sweepstakes, or other promotions or their products and services. If you choose to participate in these promotions, and are eligible to do so, we may ask you for information such as your name, e-mail address, date of birth, and telephone number.

Email and Telephone Signups

E-mail: We appreciate your questions and comments about our site and services and welcome your e-mails and questions submitted to our site. We will share your messages with those within our organization who are most capable of addressing the issues contained in your message. We may archive your message for a certain period of time or discard it, but your e-mail address and message will only be used in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Submitting your e-mail: Submitting your address anywhere on the site may result in your e-mail address being added to our  e-mail list, in addition to the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe to our e-mails at any time by opting out of e-mail subscriptions with the “unsubscribe” link included in each e-mail. Your e-mail address will be removed from our marketing list. Please allow us a reasonable period of time in order to satisfy your request, as some promotions may already be in process.

​​Submitting your phone number: Submitting your mobile phone number anywhere on the site may result in your phone number being added to our telephone list, in addition to the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy.  By submitting your mobile phone number, you are consenting (“opting in”) to receiving text messages from White Coat Waste Project. Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Should you need assistance regarding text messages sent from White Coat Waste Project, text HELP for help. If you wish to no longer receive text messages from White Coat Waste Project, text STOP to opt-out and your mobile telephone number will be removed from our marketing list.

Suggesting the Site to a Friend: If you elect to use any feature that includes suggesting a page to a friend or to inform a friend about the site or solicit donations or pledges or otherwise communicate, White Coat Waste Project may ask for your friend’s name and e-mail address. The site may automatically send the friend a one-time e-mail inviting them to visit the sites or otherwise provide the information requested by you. White Coat Waste Project will store and use this information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Your friend may contact White Coat Waste to request the removal of this information from our databases.

Your California Privacy Rights
This portion of our Privacy Policy describes specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). Please note that we will seek to verify your identity when we receive an individual rights request from you in order to ensure the security of your information.

Please direct any rights requests (as further described below) or additional questions you may have regarding this Privacy Policy via email to: support@whitecoatwaste.org

If you do, we will need to collect your information such as your name, email, or transaction history in order to verify your identity. You may also authorize an agent to make a request on your behalf, who will need to provide similar information for verification.

Deletion

California residents have the right to request the deletion of information. We may not delete some or all requested personal data as required or allowed by applicable law.

Access

You may request to receive details about how we collect, use, and share your personal data.  Specifically, you may request to receive the specific pieces of personal data that we have collected about you.

Opt-out of Sale

If you would like to opt-out of the sale of your information, please contact us at support@whitecoatwaste.org.

Non-Discrimination

We do not discriminate against you for exercising any CCPA rights, such as the access and deletion rights described above. If we choose to offer a product enhancement or financial incentive that is contingent on you sharing personal information, we will ensure that the value provided to us by that collection is reasonably related to the value of the product enhancement or financial incentive.

Shine the Light 

Under California Law, California residents have the right to request in writing from businesses with whom they have an established business relationship, (a) a list of the categories of personal information, such as name, e-mail and mailing address and the type of services provided to the customer, that a business has disclosed to third parties (including affiliates that are separate legal entities) during the immediately preceding calendar year for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes and (b) the names and addresses of all such third parties. To request the above information, please contact White Coat Waste Project on our Site or write to us at (with a reference to California Disclosure Information):

Email: support@whitecoatwaste.org

We will respond to such requests for information access within 30 days following receipt at the e-mail or mailing address stated above. Please note that we are only required to respond to each customer once per calendar year.

Like many other websites and online services, we do not currently alter our practices when we receive Do Not Track signals. To find out more about “Do Not Track,” you may wish to visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com.

Visiting our Site from outside of the United States
If you are visiting our Site from outside of the United States of America, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored or processed in the United States, where our servers are located and our central database is operated. The data protection and other laws of the United States and other countries might not be as comprehensive as those in your country, but please be assured that we take steps to protect your privacy. By using our Site, you understand that your information may be transferred to our facilities and those third parties with whom we share it as described in this Privacy Policy.

Agreement with Privacy Policy
In the case that you do not agree with the way we use your information or the way that a Third Party uses your information or any term or provision of this Privacy Policy, as now existing or as amended in the future, you may simply stop visiting or interacting with our Website.

How do I contact you?
For questions about our privacy policy, to make choices about receiving communications, to update your personal information, you can contact us by email, telephone, or postal mail:

support@whitecoatwaste.org
202-656-9044
PO Box 26029
Washington DC 20001

Last updated: December 7, 2023