Brooklyn Park, MN Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- On-site rule
- Compost or store without unreasonable odor
- Separation
- Keep apart from recyclables and refuse
- Off-site option
- Approved composting site or licensed hauler
- Hauler must offer
- Yard-waste collection service, § 98.08
- First offense
- Written warning, § 98.99(B)(1)
- Repeat fine
- $25 residential; $100 multi-family/commercial
Summary
In the City of Brooklyn Park, yard waste kept on site must be composted or stored so it does not create an unreasonable odor or other nuisance, under City Code § 98.31(D). Yard waste removed from the property must go to an approved composting site or a licensed hauler.
Yard wastes must be kept on site separate from recyclable materials and from refuse as defined in § 98.01 of this chapter. If yard wastes are kept on site, yard wastes must be composted or stored in an acceptable manner so as to not create an unreasonable odor or other condition that is obtrusive or annoying to others. If yard wastes are removed from the site, they must be taken in a sanitary manner to an approved yard waste recycling or composting site or removed by a licensed hauler by placing the material in bags or approved containers and set out for collection at the time and location prescribed by a licensed hauler.
Full Breakdown
" The code does not prescribe a specific bin design or setback for a residential compost pile, but the odor-and-nuisance standard is the operative limit, and § 94's nuisance provisions back it up if a pile becomes a public-health complaint. 31(D) requires it be taken in a sanitary manner to an approved yard waste recycling or composting site, or set out for a licensed hauler in bags or approved containers at the time and place the hauler prescribes. 30 defines YARD WASTE as garden wastes, leaves, lawn cuttings, weeds, shrubs, and tree waste and prunings, and separately defines COMPOSTABLE MATERIAL as organic material consisting of grass clippings, leaves, soft-bodied plant materials, and fruit and vegetable food scraps, a narrower category tied to source-separated organics recycling rather than the yard-waste composting pile itself.
08 further requires every residential garbage hauler licensee to offer a yard-waste collection service hauling material to a licensed and permitted composting site, and a separate source-separated organics collection service, so residents who don't compost at home have a hauler-based path required by the city.
Violations & Fines
Because on-site composting sits inside the recycling subchapter, an unreasonable-odor or improper-storage violation of § 98.31(D) is governed by § 98.99(B): a written warning for a first violation, then a civil penalty of $25 per violation for a single-family or two-family property and $100 for a multi-family, commercial, industrial, or institutional property, with amounts unpaid after 30 days charged to the violator's utility account and potentially certified as a special assessment. A misdemeanor charge under § 10.99 is also available for continued noncompliance, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost yard waste in my backyard in Brooklyn Park?
What if my compost pile smells or bothers neighbors?
Does my garbage hauler have to pick up yard waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brooklyn Park
Compare Brooklyn Park to another location·View the Minnesota landscaping rules overview
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Composting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle composting.