Privacy Policy
Last Updated: November 7, 2024
At Plastic Weight Calculator, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use our calculator tools and website.
Information We Collect
Analytics Data
We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors use our calculator and improve the user experience. This service automatically collects:
- Pages you visit on our site
- Calculator interactions (material selections, shape choices, which calculators you use)
- Device information (screen size, browser type, mobile vs desktop)
- Approximate location (country and city level, derived from IP address)
- Time spent on pages and how you navigate our site
- Referral source (which website or search engine brought you here)
What We Don't Collect
We want to be clear about what we do not collect:
- No personal information - We don't collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, or postal addresses
- No calculator input values - The specific dimensions, weights, or measurements you enter in our calculators are never transmitted to our servers or Google Analytics
- No account information - We don't require registration, so we don't have user accounts or passwords
- No financial information - We don't process payments or collect credit card information
- No precise location - We don't access GPS or track your exact location
Important: All calculator computations happen entirely in your browser. Your input values (dimensions, weights, etc.) never leave your device.
How We Use Information
We use the analytics data we collect to:
- Understand which calculators are most useful to visitors
- Identify and fix technical issues or errors
- Improve calculator user experience and functionality
- Determine which materials and features to prioritize
- Optimize the site for different devices and browsers
- Create better content and educational resources
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser. They help websites remember information about your visit.
Cookies We Use
| Cookie Name | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| _ga | Google Analytics - Distinguishes unique users | 2 years |
| _ga_* | Google Analytics - Maintains session state | 2 years |
| _gid | Google Analytics - Distinguishes users | 24 hours |
Session Storage
We also use browser "session storage" to temporarily remember how many calculations you've performed during your current visit. This data is stored only in your browser and is automatically cleared when you close the tab or browser.
Third-Party Services
Google Analytics
We use Google Analytics 4, a web analytics service provided by Google LLC. Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyze how users interact with our site.
Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize ads in its own advertising network. For more information about how Google uses data, visit:
Your Privacy Choices
Opt-Out of Analytics
You have several options to control or disable analytics tracking:
- Cookie Banner: When you first visit our site, you can decline cookies via our consent banner
- Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete existing cookies through their settings
- Google Analytics Opt-out: Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
- Do Not Track: Enable "Do Not Track" in your browser settings
- Private Browsing: Use your browser's incognito or private browsing mode
Note: Opting out of analytics will not affect the functionality of our calculators. They will continue to work perfectly without tracking.
Managing Cookie Preferences
You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clearing your browser's local storage and refreshing the page. This will cause the cookie consent banner to appear again.
Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect the information collected through our site:
- Our website uses HTTPS encryption for all communications
- We don't store calculator input data on our servers
- All calculations are performed locally in your browser
- Analytics data is stored by Google on secure servers
- We have limited access to only aggregated, anonymized analytics reports
Data Retention
Google Analytics retains user-level and event data for 2 months, after which it is automatically deleted or aggregated into summary statistics. We do not store any calculator-specific data ourselves.
Children's Privacy
Our site does not knowingly collect information from children under 13 years of age. Our calculators are designed for engineering, manufacturing, and educational purposes and are not directed at children. If you believe a child has provided information to our site, please contact us and we will work to delete such information.
International Users
Our website is hosted in the United States. If you access our site from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located. By using our site, you consent to this transfer.
European Union Users
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to access, correct, or delete your data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. Since we collect only anonymized analytics data and don't maintain user accounts, there is no personal data to access or delete. You can opt out of all tracking at any time using the methods described above.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Significant changes will be prominently posted on our website or communicated through a notice on our homepage.
Your Consent
By using our website, you consent to this privacy policy and our use of cookies and analytics as described herein. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our website or decline cookies when prompted.
Additional Resources
Questions About This Policy?
If you have questions about this privacy policy or our data practices, please review our calculators and guides for more information about how our site works.