Privacy Policy
budgetzerowaste.com
1. Who We Are
Budget Zero Waste (budgetzerowaste.com) is a personal blog about sustainable and eco-friendly living on a budget. When we say "we", "us", or "our", we refer to the owner and operator of this website.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at any time using the Contact page on our website.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Give Us
We collect information you voluntarily provide, including:
- Email address — when you subscribe to our newsletter
- Name — if you choose to provide it when contacting us
- Message content — when you submit our contact form
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically:
- IP address and general geographic location (country/city level)
- Browser type and version
- Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
- Pages visited and time spent on each page
- Referring website (how you found us)
- Date and time of your visit
2.3 Cookies
Our website uses cookies — small text files placed on your device. Cookies help us understand how visitors use our site and improve your experience. We use:
- Essential cookies — required for the website to function properly
- Analytics cookies — to understand visitor behaviour (Google Analytics / Site Kit)
- Advertising cookies — placed by Google AdSense to show relevant ads
- Third-party cookies — from affiliate partners when you click product links
You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings at any time. Note that disabling cookies may affect how some parts of the website work.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Send you our newsletter and blog updates (only if you subscribed)
- Respond to your questions and messages
- Analyse website traffic and improve our content
- Display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense
- Track affiliate link clicks for commission purposes
- Detect and prevent security issues or spam
4. Google AdSense & Advertising
We participate in the Google AdSense programme. Google uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our website and other sites on the internet. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the internet.
You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ad Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out through the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.
5. Affiliate Links
This blog contains affiliate links. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate partners may place their own cookies on your device to track referrals. Please review the privacy policies of those third-party services for more information.
We only recommend products and services we genuinely believe in. Our editorial content is not influenced by affiliate relationships.
6. Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics (via Google Site Kit) to understand how visitors interact with our website. Google Analytics collects anonymous usage data and provides us with reports. This data does not personally identify you.
You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.
7. Email Newsletter
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address to send you blog updates and eco-living tips. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email we send. We will never share your email address with third parties without your explicit consent.
8. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal data. We may share limited data with:
- Google — for Analytics and AdSense services
- Email service providers — to manage our newsletter
- Affiliate networks — for tracking referral commissions
- Hosting providers — who store our website data securely
All third-party services we use are required to handle your data in compliance with applicable privacy laws.
9. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy. Email addresses are kept for as long as you remain subscribed to our newsletter. Contact form data is retained for up to 12 months.
10. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
- Object to how we process your data
- Withdraw consent at any time (e.g., unsubscribe from newsletter)
To exercise any of these rights, contact us through our Contact page.
11. Children's Privacy
Our website is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us so we can delete it promptly.
12. External Links
Our blog contains links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our website after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
📬 Questions About This Policy?
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us via our Contact Page. We aim to respond within 5 business days.