Trinity County, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Backyard and on-site composting is permitted in unincorporated Trinity County—there is no county ordinance prohibiting residents from composting yard trimmings and food scraps on their own property, and on-site composting / self-hauling are recognized diversion methods under state law. The county does regulate solid waste generally under Code Chapter 8.08 (Solid Waste Disposal), which channels disposal through approved facilities, but that does not bar home composting. Statewide, SB 1383 (effective 2022) requires jurisdictions to provide organic-waste (green/food waste) collection and to reduce organic waste sent to landfill, with CalRecycle as the regulator. Critically for Trinity County, SB 1383 allows rural, low-population (under 70,000) and high-elevation jurisdictions to obtain waivers or exemptions from the organic-waste collection mandate, and AB 2902 extended rural compliance timelines—generally to 2037—because these areas have a small organic-waste footprint and face collection challenges. As a result, curbside organics service may be limited or unavailable in much of the county, and CalRecycle and state guidance actively encourage backyard composting and community compost as approved alternatives. Composting should still avoid creating a vector (rodent) nuisance or odor problem that could be abated under the county's nuisance provisions (Code Ch. 8.64).