Bloomfield, NJ Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Section 611-2 of the Bloomfield Township Code, in the Board of Health's Chapter 611, prints one dimensional rule for compost: the composting location shall be a minimum of 10 feet from each property line. It appears in Subsection J(4) under vegetative growth/waste and again in Subsection K(5) under yard growth/waste. Section K(5) was added on 7-12-2023 by Ord. No. BOH 03-2023, along with the nuisance rule in K(4). The section prints no bin size, enclosure type or permit process for compost, so the setback and the nuisance standard are the rules the code states.

The nuisance standard applies to both categories. Vegetative growth/waste and yard growth/waste each shall not be piled to create a nuisance or attract insects or rodents. Section 611-1 defines yard growth/waste to include leaves, grass, clippings, small brush and lawn rakings, compost, and any other similar yard waste generated from the property. Section K also requires yard waste set out for collection to be placed in a biodegradable bag, with no item weighing more than 50 pounds, and prints that grass or weeds growth must not exceed nine inches.

Section 611-3(C)(1) separately makes it a public health nuisance to deposit, accumulate or maintain any matter that serves as food for insects or rodents, or as a breeding place or harborage for them, in or on any land. Section 491-19(A) says the Township encourages cutting grass and leaving it on the lawn, which it calls grasscycling.