Franklin County, KY Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Section 50.03 of the Franklin County Code defines COMPOST as waste capable of being decomposed by microorganisms, and defines YARD WASTE as leaves, small branches and grass clippings from a residence in a pile limited to ten feet in length by five feet in width by three feet in height, with branches stacked parallel to one another. Ends of woody material should not exceed six inches in diameter, and two county personnel members should be able to dispose of the pile. Tree root balls and wood gardening materials belong in the resident's trash bin or at the county landfill.

Weeds go in the trash bin or to a county yard waste event, because those items are unsuitable for the road department wood chipper. The approved disposal table in § 50.07 routes yard waste to disposal through the county for chipping, mulching and/or composting, and routes livestock to landfill or compost pursuant to KRS 257.160. The definition of PROCESSING in § 50.03 names composting alongside recycling, baling and shredding, and DISPOSAL SITE includes compost sites. The chapter is written for the unincorporated area only: § 50.02 states its purpose is to regulate solid waste in the unincorporated areas of the county, and § 50.03 defines COUNTY as the unincorporated area of Franklin County, Kentucky.

Frankfort has its own code and is a separate jurisdiction. The text prints no bin dimensions, setback or odor standard for backyard composting, so the rule residents deal with is the yard waste pile definition and the county handling channel. Ordinance 10-2023, passed 9-28-2023, is the latest amendment history printed after § 50.03.