Aurora, IL Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Compost piles
- Allowed for yard waste only
- No permit needed
- For an on-property compost pile
- Alternative
- Landscaper removal or bagged collection
- Everything else
- Piling waste is unlawful citywide
Summary
Aurora exempts yard waste from its citywide ban on piling waste accumulations: residents may keep it in a compost pile on the property instead of removing it immediately like every other kind of refuse.
It shall be unlawful for any person to deposit within the city limits any accumulation of garbage, recyclables, rubbish, junk, manure, carcasses of dead animals, or combustible refuse, with the exception of yard waste which shall be placed in a compost pile or removed by a landscape maintenance company or placed out in approved bags for collection by municipally contracted services, unless he intends to remove the material immediately.
(Code 1969, § 20-19; Ord. No. O90-70, § 1, 7-3-90; Ord. No. O00-73, § 1, 7-11-00)
Editor's note— Formerly § 20-18.
Full Breakdown
Aurora Code § 20-9 makes it unlawful to pile up garbage, rubbish, junk, manure, dead-animal carcasses, or combustible refuse anywhere in the city unless the material is removed right away, but yard waste is carved out by name. Yard waste can sit in a compost pile on the property, or instead be picked up by a landscape maintenance company or bagged for the city's contracted collection service. No permit, bin standard, or size limit is attached to the compost-pile option; it is simply excluded from the general accumulation ban that covers every other type of waste.
Violations & Fines
Piling garbage, rubbish, junk, or combustible refuse without immediate removal is unlawful (yard waste in a compost pile is the one exception); general chapter fines run $25-$100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to compost yard waste in Aurora?
Can I pile up grass clippings and leaves in my yard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
Compare Aurora to another location·View the Illinois landscaping rules overview
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