St. Clair County, IL Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Backyard composting
- Allowed
- Landfill landscape-waste ban
- 415 ILCS 5/22.22
- Banned items
- Leaves, grass, brush, tree limbs
- Alternatives
- Compost, mulch, yard-waste collection
- Nuisance risk
- Odor, vermin, weed seeding
Summary
St. Clair County has no rule against backyard composting. Statewide, Illinois bans landscape waste (leaves, grass, brush) from sanitary landfills under 415 ILCS 5/22.22, which is why composting, mulching and yard-waste collection are used instead. Keep piles from becoming a nuisance.
No owner or operator of a sanitary landfill shall accept landscape waste for final disposal.
Full Breakdown
The county does not prohibit home composting of yard and food scraps. Illinois' Environmental Protection Act, 415 ILCS 5/22.22, bars landfills from accepting landscape waste for final disposal (with narrow exceptions for permitted compost operations or approved cover material), so residents compost, mulch, or set out yard waste for separate collection. Home compost bins are legal, but a poorly managed pile that creates odor, attracts vermin, or lets weeds seed can be treated as a nuisance under the county code or state disorderly-conduct principles. Turn and cover food scraps, keep the pile contained, and don't dump rank weeds that would violate the eight-inch weed rule nearby.
Violations & Fines
State: landfills that accept landscape waste violate 415 ILCS 5/22.22. County: a compost pile that becomes odorous, vermin-infested or a weed source can be abated as a nuisance with cost and lien.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost in my backyard?
Why can't I throw leaves and grass in the trash for the landfill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Clair County
Compare St. Clair County to another location·View the Illinois landscaping rules overview
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