Backyard composting of yard and food waste is allowed in Chesterfield County and promoted as a waste-reduction practice. Compost must be kept so it does not create odor, vermin, or nuisance conditions under the county's property-maintenance rules.
Chesterfield does not prohibit residential composting; the county encourages diverting yard trimmings and food scraps from the waste stream. Compost piles and bins must be maintained so they do not become a health nuisance, harbor rats or vermin, or generate offensive odors that would violate the County Code's nuisance and property-maintenance provisions. Yard waste set out for collection must follow the county's separate collection and container rules. Meat, dairy and greasy foods are discouraged in home piles because they attract pests. Large-scale or commercial composting is regulated separately under state solid-waste rules and is not a backyard-scale activity.
A neglected pile that causes odors, attracts vermin, or becomes a nuisance can be cited under the county's nuisance/property-maintenance code, requiring cleanup after notice.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Chesterfield County, VA
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See how Chesterfield County's composting rules stack up against other locations.
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