Plumas County, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Composting in unincorporated Plumas County sits at the intersection of a statewide mandate and local solid-waste rules. California Senate Bill 1383, effective January 1, 2022, requires all residents and businesses to keep organic materials — including food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard/green waste — out of the landfill, either by subscribing to organics collection service or by self-hauling or composting on site. Backyard or on-site composting is an accepted way for residents to comply, and rural Plumas County, where centralized organics pickup is limited, leans on transfer stations and home composting. The county manages solid waste and disposal sites under Title 6 (Sanitation and Health), Chapter 10 (Solid Waste Control); compost piles must not create a public-health nuisance, attract vectors, or generate odors affecting neighbors. Because Plumas County is black-bear habitat, residents should manage food-waste compost carefully and store garbage in bear-resistant containers to avoid attracting wildlife (intentional feeding of big game is separately unlawful under state law). CalRecycle, which administers SB 1383, sets statewide diversion targets (a 75% reduction in organic-waste disposal). Residents should confirm local organics-collection availability and transfer-station composting options with their waste hauler or the county.