RecycleLens tells you which bin an item goes in. Here's exactly what we keep — and don't. We don't ask you to create an account, and we never sell your data.
When you scan an item we log the item we identified, the material, the bin verdict, your general area/hauler (e.g. "Athens Services"), and — if you tap 👍 or 👎 — your rating. This is used to make the verdict better over time. It contains no name, email, account, or precise location.
Your scan photo is processed to produce the verdict. A downscaled copy is stored only when you tap 👍 "Yes" or 👎 "Wrong bin" — never on a plain scan — paired with the correct bin, so the scanner can learn the hard cases. Please photograph the item, not people, faces, or documents. Stored photos are deleted after 90 days, are accessible to the RecycleLens owner only, and are used only to improve the tool — never sold or shared.
Don't want your photos stored? Turn it off any time from the scanner (tap "Manage" on the photo notice). Scanning still works fully — nothing is kept.
RecycleLens is free to use and is supported by advertising on our written guides. (The scanner itself is deliberately ad-free.) To pay for that:
You can opt out of personalized advertising at Google Ads Settings, or opt out of third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalized advertising at aboutads.info/choices. Opting out does not affect anything on RecycleLens — the scanner and every guide keep working exactly the same.
We use Google Analytics to count page views and understand which guides people find useful. It records things like the page visited, approximate region, and device type — not your name or contact details.
Some guides may link to products (for example a replacement filter or a battery-recycling kit). Where those are affiliate links we may earn a small commission if you buy, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Affiliate links never change a bin verdict — the disposal advice is the same whether or not anything is linked.
RecycleLens is a general-audience tool for people managing a household's waste. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
If this policy changes we'll update it on this page. Continued use means you accept the current version.
Questions, a deletion request, or a privacy concern: hello@recyclelens.com. More ways to reach us on the contact page.