Mountain View, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- City Code Sec. 16.101(h), 16.102(c)
- Legal basis
- Implements state SB 1383 (Ord. No. 11.21)
- On-site composting
- Allowed instead of city collection
- Community composting size cap
- 100 cubic yards / 750 sq ft
- Enforcement
- City enforcement official under Sec. 16.109
Summary
Mountain View's mandatory organics ordinance does not force every household onto the city's green cart. Section 16.102(c) of the City Code lets a single-family generator manage its own organic waste on-site or through a community composting site instead of subscribing to hauled collection. Community composting itself is capped at 100 cubic yards and 750 square feet of feedstock and compost on site at any one time under Section 16.101(h).
"Community composting" means any activity that composts green material, agricultural material, food material and vegetative food material, alone or in combination, and the total amount of feedstock and compost on-site at any one time does not exceed one hundred (100) cubic yards and seven hundred fifty (750) square feet, as specified in 14 CCR Section 17855(a)(4)... Nothing in this section prohibits an organic waste generator from additionally managing their organic waste by preventing or reducing their organic waste, managing organic waste on-site and/or using a community composting site pursuant to 14 CCR Section 18984.9(c).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 34 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
102 spells out what single-family generators must do with their food scraps and yard trimmings, primarily subscribe to the city's organic waste collection service and sort materials into the green, blue and gray carts. 9(c). That means a resident who composts food scraps and yard waste in their own backyard, rather than sending everything to the green cart, is not violating the mandatory participation rule. 101(h) defines what qualifies: an activity that composts green material, agricultural material, food material and vegetative food material, alone or in combination, capped at one hundred cubic yards and seven hundred fifty square feet of feedstock and compost on site at any one time, per 14 CCR Section 17855(a)(4).
Above that size, the operation is regulated as a solid waste facility rather than an exempt community composting site. 109, though a resident legitimately composting on-site under the (c) exception is meeting the ordinance rather than violating it.
Violations & Fines
There's no separate composting violation as long as a resident's on-site or community composting stays within the 100-cubic-yard, 750-square-foot cap in Section 16.101(h); exceeding that threshold reclassifies the operation as a regulated solid waste facility. Residents who don't compost and also skip the city's mandatory organic waste collection under Section 16.102(a)-(b) face administrative citations, fines, or civil penalties under Section 16.109, starting with an educational notice and escalating after January 1, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost in my backyard instead of using Mountain View's green cart?
How big can a community composting pile be in Mountain View?
Does the city inspect home composting?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mountain View
California rules heatmap·Compare Mountain View to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Composting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Santa Clara County handle composting.