Lake County, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Composting in unincorporated Lake County is governed primarily by state law rather than a unique county ordinance. California Senate Bill 1383, effective January 1, 2022, requires every jurisdiction - including the unincorporated county - to provide for organic-waste recycling so residents and businesses separate organic materials (food scraps, food-soiled paper, yard and plant debris, untreated wood) from trash, either by subscribing to collection service or self-hauling to an approved diversion facility. In unincorporated county areas, subscribing to organics service is mandatory unless a property obtains an exemption from the County's Environmental Health Division (Health Services Department). Backyard and on-site composting is expressly allowed and encouraged: residents who compost food and yard waste at home reduce what they must set out for collection, and home composting is recognized as a valid diversion method under SB 1383. Practically, composting should be managed to avoid creating a nuisance - odors, vectors/rodents, or runoff toward Clear Lake - which could be addressed under the County's nuisance provisions (County Code Chapter 13). UC Master Gardeners offer local composting guidance suited to Lake County's climate.