Last updated: October 14, 2026
1. About this policy
This Cookie Policy explains how the operators of Sustainable Fox Valley (sustainfv.org) (“we,” “us,” or “our”) use cookies and similar technologies on sustainfv.org. It supplements our Privacy Policy, which explains more broadly how we handle personal information and your rights.
2. What cookies are
Cookies are small text files that a website stores in your browser. They let the site remember things between page views, such as what is in your cart or whether you are logged in. Cookies set by the website you are visiting are “first-party” cookies. Cookies set by another service, such as an embedded video, are “third-party” cookies.
Some cookies are deleted when you close your browser (“session” cookies); others stay for a set time (“persistent” cookies). Websites can also use similar technologies, such as local storage in your browser, which work in a similar way. In this policy, “cookies” includes these technologies.
2.1 Why we keep cookies to a minimum
Fewer cookies means less data about you, faster pages, and a lighter digital footprint, which fits our mission. We do not use cookies to build advertising profiles, we do not sell cookie data, and we review the cookies on the site whenever we add or update a plugin.
3. How we ask for consent
When you first visit sustainfv.org, a banner provided by CookieYes explains our use of cookies and lets you:
- Accept all cookie categories;
- Reject all optional cookies, keeping only strictly necessary ones; or
- Customize your choices by turning individual categories on or off.
Rejecting is as easy as accepting, and the site works fully either way, including the shop and checkout. Until you make a choice, optional cookies are blocked. CookieYes stores your choice in a cookie named cookieyes-consent so the banner does not reappear on every page. We ask again after your choice expires (usually after 12 months), or sooner if we make significant changes to the cookies we use.
3.1 What we record about your choice
To show that consent was given, CookieYes may keep a consent log containing an anonymized consent identifier, the date and time of your choice, the categories you accepted or rejected, and the version of the banner you saw. This record does not include your name or email address. We keep consent records for as long as needed to demonstrate compliance, as described in our Privacy Policy.
4. Cookie categories
| Category | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Necessary | Required for the site to work: security, shopping cart, checkout, login, and remembering your cookie choices. These cannot be switched off in the banner. | Always on |
| Functional | Remember preferences and enable optional features, such as embedded maps or videos from other sites. | Off until you consent |
| Analytics | Help us understand, in aggregate, how visitors use the site, such as which guides are most read, so we can improve it. | Off until you consent |
| Performance | Help us measure and improve page speed and reliability, for example by detecting errors or slow-loading pages. | Off until you consent |
| Advertisement | Used by third parties to deliver or measure advertising. We do not currently run advertising on this site; this category exists so that any third-party content that would set such cookies stays blocked unless you allow it. | Off until you consent |
5. Cookies we use
The table below lists the typical cookies set by the software that runs this site. Exact names may include a unique string (shown as *) and durations may vary slightly with software versions and settings. The current list is always available in the CookieYes banner under “Customize.”
| Cookie | Set by | Category | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| wordpress_test_cookie | WordPress | Necessary | Checks whether your browser accepts cookies, so login works | Session |
| wordpress_logged_in_* | WordPress | Necessary | Keeps you logged in to your account and identifies you while logged in | Session, or 14 days if you choose “Remember me” |
| wordpress_sec_* | WordPress | Necessary | Secure authentication cookie for logged-in users | Session, or 14 days if you choose “Remember me” |
| wp-settings-*, wp-settings-time-* | WordPress | Necessary | Remembers dashboard display preferences for logged-in users | 1 year |
| woocommerce_cart_hash | WooCommerce | Necessary | Helps detect when your cart contents change | Session |
| woocommerce_items_in_cart | WooCommerce | Necessary | Records whether your cart has items in it | Session |
| wp_woocommerce_session_* | WooCommerce | Necessary | Links your browser to your cart and checkout session | 2 days |
| sbjs_* | WooCommerce (order attribution, if enabled) | Analytics | Records how you arrived at the shop (for example, a search engine or newsletter link) so we can see, in aggregate, which outreach works | Session to a few months |
| cookieyes-consent | CookieYes | Necessary | Stores your cookie consent choices | 1 year |
| wfwaf-authcookie-* | Wordfence | Necessary | Lets the security firewall recognize logged-in administrators so their actions are not blocked | 12 hours |
5.1 Plugins that do not set visitor cookies
- Contact Form 7, which powers our contact form, does not set any cookies by default. If we enable a spam-protection service for the form, that service may set its own cookies, which we will list in the banner.
- Yoast SEO helps with page titles, descriptions, and sitemaps, and does not set cookies for site visitors.
- Wordfence does not set cookies for ordinary visitors who are not logged in. It does log technical information about requests for security purposes, as described in our Privacy Policy.
5.2 Analytics, performance and third-party cookies
If we use an analytics or performance tool, its cookies load only after you consent to the matching category, and we list them by name in the CookieYes banner. Where available, we enable IP address anonymization and turn off advertising features. Embedded content from other websites, such as videos or maps, may set third-party cookies; we block these behind the functional or advertisement categories until you consent. Third-party cookies are governed by the privacy policies of the companies that set them.
5.3 Payment processor cookies at checkout
When you pay for an order, the payment processor shown at checkout, such as Stripe or PayPal, may set its own cookies or use similar technologies on the payment fields or payment window. These are used to process your payment securely and to detect and prevent fraud, so they are treated as strictly necessary for completing a purchase you requested. They are controlled by the payment processor under its own privacy and cookie policies, and they are not used by us to track you.
6. How to change or withdraw your consent
- Open your cookie settings. Click the cookie settings link in the site footer or the floating cookie icon (if shown) to reopen the CookieYes preferences.
- Adjust your choices. Turn categories on or off, or select “Reject all.”
- Save. Your new preferences apply right away. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing before you withdrew it.
- Clear existing cookies (optional). Cookies already set before you changed your choice may remain until they expire. To remove them immediately, delete cookies for sustainfv.org in your browser settings.
7. Browser controls
Most browsers let you view, delete, and block cookies, either for all websites or for specific ones. Each browser does this a little differently; look for “Privacy,” “Cookies,” or “Site data” in its settings, or see its help pages:
If you block all cookies, including strictly necessary ones, some parts of the site will not work. In particular, you will not be able to add items to your cart, check out, or log in to your account. Blocking only third-party cookies will not affect the core site.
7.1 Phones and tablets
On mobile devices, cookie controls are found in your browser app’s settings, usually under “Privacy” or “Site settings.” Private or incognito browsing modes delete cookies when you close the private window, which means the cookie banner will appear again on your next visit and your cart will not be saved between sessions.
8. Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track
Global Privacy Control (GPC) is a signal sent by some browsers and extensions to tell websites you do not want your personal information sold or shared for targeted advertising. When your browser sends a GPC signal, we treat it as a valid opt-out for that browser: advertisement cookies and any other cookies that could be used for sale or sharing of personal information remain blocked, even if the banner would otherwise allow them. California and a number of other states with consumer privacy laws recognize this type of universal opt-out signal.
The older “Do Not Track” setting has no common standard. Because we do not track visitors across other websites, our practices are the same whether Do Not Track is on or off.
9. Visitors in the EU and UK
If you visit from the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, we rely on your consent for all non-essential cookies, as required by the ePrivacy rules and the GDPR (or UK GDPR and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations). Strictly necessary cookies are used because they are essential to provide the service you request. Your rights are explained in our Privacy Policy.
10. Changes to this policy
We will update this Cookie Policy when we add or remove tools that set cookies or when the law changes. The “Last updated” date at the top shows the current version. If a change requires new consent, the banner will ask you again.
11. Contact
Questions about cookies or your consent choices? Contact the operators of Sustainable Fox Valley (sustainfv.org) at [email protected]. Related pages: Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · Accessibility Statement.