Janesville, WI Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Sec. 22-208(a) states the purpose as promoting recycling of yard waste and organic material through composting while setting minimum maintenance standards. Subsection (b) puts the responsibility on "the generator of compostable materials" to maintain any pile or bin under that person's control. A compost bin cannot exceed 125 cubic feet in volume or five feet in height, must be kept from attracting or harboring rodents and pests, and must not create odors amounting to a public nuisance. Location is restricted to a rear yard only; no compost pile or bin may sit in a front or side yard, and it must be at least five feet from a property line or 20 feet from a neighboring principal structure.

The section also lists what cannot go in the bin: lake weeds and diseased plants; cooked food scraps other than coffee grounds and tea leaves; fish, meat, poultry, dairy products, oily foods, grease, animal-fat-containing foods, bones, and dog or cat waste; and oversized material such as large branches, logs, charcoal briquettes, or sawdust from treated wood. Acceptable material includes grass clippings, dry leaves, straw, dry hay, woodchips and sawdust from untreated wood, shredded paper, egg and nut shells, hair, animal fur, raw fruits and vegetables, and commercial compost additives.