Data Protection Authority Takes On Plastic Bag Rule

According to Morgunblaðið, an anonymous person has complained to the Icelandic Data Protection Authority about recycling center Sorpa’s new rule considering the way people should turn in their waste. It instructs people to put their waste into transparent plastic bags when depositing them at Sorpa, otherwise a fee will be collected. The rule was put to use on the 1st of July.

The anonymous person has claimed that the new rule violates their right to privacy.

According to Karl Hrannar Sigurðsson, a lawyer and expert in the field of privacy, the complaint is far-fetched since the privacy law only applies to cases where storing and handling personal information is involved.

Sorpa’s managing director, Jón Viggó Gunnarsson, claims that they don’t register the contents of the waste bags or any other private information about the people using Sorpa’s recycling centers. Anyhow, he’s pleased that the matter has been raised for consideration and that the Data Protection Authority has now the opportunity to decide on the legality of the new rule.

Líf Magneudóttir, city representative of the Left-Green Party and chair of the board of Sorpa, says she understands why people are worried. However, she points out that “people shouldn’t be embarrassed to recycle broken sex toys, they are just classified as electronics.”

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