Fairfax County, VA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Fairfax County actively encourages residential composting as part of its Zero Waste goals. Backyard composting of yard trimmings, leaves, grass, fruit peels, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, and eggshells requires no County permit and is permissible on any residential lot. Meat, dairy, bones, and oils should not be added to backyard piles to avoid attracting rodents. Composting operations that create odor, vermin attraction, or runoff can be cited as nuisances under Fairfax County Code Chapter 119 (Property Maintenance) or the nuisance provisions; piles should be kept 5+ feet from property lines and away from wells. The County's Food Scraps Composting Program, run by the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES), accepts food waste at participating farmers' markets and some community events for commercial composting. DPWES offers rebates and discounted compost bins through periodic sales. Large-scale composting (commercial operations) requires VA DEQ permits under 9 VAC 20-81. Worm bins (vermicomposting) are allowed indoors and outdoors. HOAs sometimes restrict visible compost bins — check covenants in Reston, Burke Centre, and other managed communities. Municipal curbside food scrap collection is not yet universal but is expanding. The I-95 Complex accepts yard waste for commercial composting into Leafgro-type products sold back to residents.