Chino Hills, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- On-site composting
- Allowed instead of curbside pickup
- Governing section
- CHMC § 13.20.051(A)
- Community composting cap
- 100 cu yd / 750 sq ft
- Larger facility
- Needs City land use approval
- Operator info requests
- Must respond within 60 days
- Penalty
- $100-$500 escalating administrative citation
Summary
Chino Hills lets residents manage their own organic waste at home instead of subscribing to full curbside organics service: CHMC § 13.20.051(A) allows generators to reduce waste, compost on site, or use a community composting site. Once composting grows past a 100-cubic-yard, 750-square-foot cap, it becomes a regulated 'community composting' operation needing City land use approval.
13.20.010 "Community composting": Community composting means any activity that composts green material, agricultural material, food material, and vegetative food material, alone or in combination, and the total amount of feedstock and compost on-site at any one (1) time does not exceed one hundred (100) cubic yards and seven hundred fifty (750) square feet, as specified in 14 CCR Section 17855(a)(4). 13.20.051(A): Generators may additionally manage their organic waste by preventing or reducing their organic waste, managing organic waste on site, and/or using a community composting site pursuant to 14 CCR Section 18984.9(c). 13.20.090(A): No person shall construct or operate a solid waste management facility (including, but not limited to, a materials recovery facility), disposal facility, composting facility, or buy-back recycling center without first satisfying all City requirements for land use and other approvals.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
Chino Hills' Integrated Waste Management ordinance treats backyard composting as one of the recognized alternatives to mandatory curbside organics collection. ' That means a homeowner running a backyard compost bin for yard trimmings and food scraps is not required to also pay for and use the green-container organics cart for that material. The code draws a bright line, however, once composting activity grows beyond a household scale. 010 defines 'community composting' as any composting activity where the on-site feedstock and finished compost never exceed one hundred cubic yards and seven hundred fifty square feet at any one time, tracking the state cap in 14 CCR § 17855(a)(4). 090(C). In short: a backyard bin is legal without a permit, but a neighborhood-scale composting operation is a land-use matter.
Violations & Fines
Operating a composting facility without the required City land use approvals violates § 13.20.090(A) and, like other Chapter 13.20 violations, is enforceable through an administrative citation under § 13.20.340(B), with base penalties of $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second, and $500 for a third or later violation within the review period, plus the option of civil or misdemeanor prosecution under §§ 13.20.350 and 13.20.360.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a compost bin in my Chino Hills backyard without a permit?
At what point does composting need City approval?
Does home composting excuse me from the City's organics collection program entirely?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Composting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle composting.