Flagstaff, AZ Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Flagstaff's Littering chapter generally bars letting litter build up on private property unless it sits in a covered bin or authorized container, but Section 6-06-001-0003 carves out a specific compost exception: dead vegetative matter, including grass clippings, leaves and tree trimmings, may stay on the property for composting instead of being bagged, provided the compost is regularly maintained and confined so it cannot drift, blow, or generate obnoxious odors onto an adjoining private property or public place. A separate wildlife-feeding rule in Section 6-01-001-0023 layers on a second condition for any compost pile that could otherwise attract animals: subsection D.6 exempts compost piles from the citywide ban on feeding or attracting wildlife only if the pile is fully contained and made inaccessible to wildlife.

Together, the two sections mean a Flagstaff compost pile has to clear two bars: it must be actively maintained so odor and drift do not bother neighbors, and it must be built so raccoons, javelina, bears or other wildlife cannot get into it, or the owner loses both exceptions and faces a litter accumulation violation as well as a wildlife-feeding citation. Unlike ordinary litter, which must be cleared by 9:00 a.m. each day under the same section, a properly maintained compost pile can remain indefinitely because the exception lasts as long as the composting purpose and maintenance condition are met.

The Sustainability Division and Code Compliance enforce both halves of the rule, and Arizona Game and Fish officers can also cite a compost pile that draws wildlife under the separate feeding ordinance.