Abington, PA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Leaf waste is defined at § 92-40 as simply 'leaves from trees and shrubbery,' and it is one of the materials the Township's recycling program in Chapter 92, Article VII requires residents to separate from municipal waste. Section 92-41(F) states that leaf waste must be stored on the premises of the residence until the Township schedules a leaf waste collection, but the same subsection adds that this storage requirement 'shall not prevent the composting of leaf waste on said premises for personal use.' The ordinance does not merely tolerate composting, it specifically preserves the right to compost leaves at home rather than bag them for Township pickup.

The article does not print any separate bin, container, setback or odor standard for a home compost pile, so no permit or registration is required for a resident who wants to compost leaves under this section; the only condition stated in the code is that the composting occur on the resident's own premises and be for personal use, not a commercial or shared operation. Because leaf waste falls under the recycling article rather than the separate garbage and refuse chapter, the general recycling penalty at § 92-45, a fine of $10 to $300 per day before a District Justice, is the enforcement mechanism that would apply if a resident who chose not to compost failed to properly store or set out leaf waste instead.

Residents who bag leaves rather than compost them must still follow the collection rules at § 92-42(C), including bulk collection weeks and placement by the Sunday before pickup.