Regional Recycling Backyard Composting Guide

Backyard Composting Guide

The entire contents of this website are also available in PDF format:

State of California Recycling Law

California state law (AB 939, signed in 1989), requires California local government agencies to divert 50% of all solid waste going to landfills by the year 2000, and each year thereafter. Monetary fines up to $10,000 may be imposed for non-compliance.

Yard Clippings

California has thousands of acres of beautifully landscaped lawns, and many of us spend a large amount of time and money maintaining our yards. The result of our endeavors is tons of yard waste being generated every year. The materials that make up our yard waste (grass, leaves, and shrub and tree prunings) can easily be processed into compost. Backyard composting reduces collection costs and gives you a source of compost for home use.

Backyard Composting Program

Backyard composting makes good sense - and good dollars and cents. Rather than having your yard waste collected for processing or disposal, you can recycle this material into a rich, dark humus material for use as a soil amendment. All you need to get started is a compost technique and a bin or a pile. Your local jurisdiction may have a program to encourage backyard composting that includes the distribution of compost bins and literature, and may also have workshops where you can learn about compost techniques.