Legal

Privacy policy

We store only what we need to match surplus food safely and report community impact. We do not sell your data.

Last updated: June 2026

1. Who we are

FoodSave Local (https://www.foodsavelocal.co.uk) provides surplus food matching for businesses and charities. For privacy questions or data requests, contact team@foodsavelocal.co.uk.

2. Data we collect

Account: email address, password (stored hashed), organisation name, role (business/charity/admin), UK postcode and coordinates for nearby matching, contact phone where provided, and profile fields you complete (e.g. opening hours, dietary preferences, charity registration reference). Listings: food description, quantities, pickup times, location label, allergens, photos, and status. Messages: in-app chat between matched business and charity for a listing. Technical: device push token (if you enable notifications), and basic logs needed to operate and secure the service. We do not store payment card data.

3. Why we use your data

To create and secure your account; match surplus listings with nearby charities; send service emails (e.g. verification, password reset) and optional push alerts; verify charities; measure environmental and social impact; respond to support requests; and comply with legal obligations.

4. Legal bases (UK GDPR)

We process data on the basis of contract (providing the service you signed up for), legitimate interests (fraud prevention, improving the platform, impact reporting), and consent where required (e.g. optional marketing — we do not sell your data). You may withdraw consent for optional processing without affecting core service use.

5. Who we share data with

Verified charities see business listings within the matching radius; businesses see charity details relevant to a reservation. Infrastructure providers (hosting, email) process data on our instructions under agreements. We do not sell personal data to advertisers.

6. Retention

We keep account and listing data while your account is active. Collected or expired listings may be retained in anonymised or aggregated form for impact statistics. You may request deletion — see Your rights below.

7. Security

Passwords are hashed before storage. Access to production systems is restricted. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure; we work to protect your data proportionately.

8. Your rights

You may access, correct, export, or delete your personal data. Use in-app settings where available, or email team@foodsavelocal.co.uk. You may complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk). We will respond to requests within one month where possible.

9. Children

The service is for organisations and authorised adults (18+). It is not directed at children.

10. International transfers

Data is processed primarily in the UK/EEA. If we use processors outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards (e.g. UK IDTA or adequacy decisions).

11. Changes

We may update this policy; the date below will change. Material changes will be communicated in-app or by email where appropriate.