Lake Forest, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Home composting of yard trimmings and food scraps is not prohibited in Lake Forest and supports the state's organic-waste-diversion goals. The City's formal organics program implements SB 1383, the Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Act of 2016 (codified at 14 CCR, Division 7, Chapter 12), which requires jurisdictions to divert organic waste from landfills to reduce methane and to recover surplus edible food. Lake Forest's franchised hauler, CR&R, provides standardized three-cart collection using the statewide color scheme - gray/black for trash, blue for recycling, and green for organics. Organic waste includes food scraps, vegetable trimmings, spoiled food, and landscaping (yard/green) waste, all of which go in the green organics cart for residents and businesses. Under SB 1383, all businesses and multifamily properties that generate organic waste must subscribe to organics collection or self-haul to a permitted composting or anaerobic-digestion facility with documentation. The mandate also requires commercial 'edible food generators' (such as supermarkets, large grocers, food distributors, large restaurants, and qualifying hotels) to arrange recovery of surplus edible food through food recovery organizations, with Tier One generators phased in first and Tier Two generators following. The City and CR&R provide outreach and container labeling to support compliance. Residents who prefer to compost yard and food waste at home may do so as an alternative to placing it in the green cart.