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One Response to What are the composting restrictions in California?

1. Often, you have State, County, City, and Homeowner’s Association rules that apply to things like composting. In some area’s you must compost on site (i.e. the back yard) and in others you may not. For example, I know of one county that mandated back yard composting of yard debris for all residents only to be faced down by many community home owner’s associations who disallowed yard waste to remain in yards for more than 24 hours. Ultimately in this case, yard debris recycling businesses were re-allowed within the county while home owner’s associations were mandated to allow back yard recycling of yard debris. In reality, some communities still have most/all of their yard waste removed but, should a resident chose to push the issue they would have a legal leg to stand on.

   If you have a home owner’s association, I guess I would check with them first. At the same time, realize that yard debris is often grouped in with “solid waste”, that yard debris in no way includes household or kitchen waste, and that noxious weeds and vegetation is often prohibited from back yard compost piles. Even if your home owners association scratches their heads because you bothered to ask them, cities often specify exactly what types of on-site composting systems/bins may be used. In some cases, these requirements correspond to the types of materials being composted (i.e. no animal wastes, in the ground food composters, and contained bins for yard debris to “prevent” rodent and insect concerns). Often when the regulation is specified on a county level rather than a city level, the specific requirements are less but the general requirements are greater (i.e. rodent, insect, odor, and bacterial/germ control assurances and measures) and based upon agricultural site more so than residential sites even if there hasn’t been a farm in the county for 50 years.

   More often than not, the reality is that you can pretty much do anything until there is a complaint. I would begin by checking any home owner’s association rules then your city and county solid waste departments on-line. Many are promoting back yard recycling and specific systems; a number also offer reduced rate bins. In our area, it is often not a good idea to go against the wishes of your home owner’s association even if it is legal to do so; you’ll pay one way or another unless you can rally the support of the neighborhood troops and/or replace board members. It is also not uncommon for one branch of the local municipality to be promoting eco-friendly things like compost bins, low water landscaping, etc… only to have another branch with rules that make these practices questionable at best; in these cases, it is up to the decision of the compliance officer after the complaint has been made and is being investigated.

   Personally, I quietly veggie pit in my yard which involves burying kitchen produce waste in the ground and covering it with enough soil that insects, rodents, and others are not a problem. Interestingly enough, this is not technically allowed (no burying of garbage on-site) but it would be allowed for me to toss the same items on my above ground, unconfined, compost pile so long as critters and odors do not become a problem. Nor am I technically allowed to use an in-ground composting bin in the county, but a number of cities within the county insist on these systems for all on-site food waste composting. Personally, I don’t want to provide this type of food and shelter invite for the types of critters that could be a problem in my area.

   Composting, alternative landscaping, clothes line drying, back yard chickens, and the spare pet goat are becoming the “leash law” issues of the 21st century.

   

   Marcia
   August 2, 2013 at 4:45 pm
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