Newark, NJ Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Newark's Zoning and Land Use Ordinance treats composting as a permitted accessory use across every residential zone; Table 4-1 lists Composting as permitted (P) in all six residential districts, R-1 through R-6, without requiring conditional use approval or site plan review. Section 41:4-6-5, adopted November 1, 2023 by Ordinance No. 6PSF-E, sets the operating standards. A compost area may not exceed five cubic yards in size and must sit at least three feet from any property line. The organic waste composted must be generated on the same lot, and the finished compost must likewise be used on that lot rather than sold, given away, or hauled elsewhere, which distinguishes ordinary residential composting from the standards written for urban farms under Section 41:4-6-13, where farm compost may be sold or given away on site.

The compost and any raw materials cannot be allowed to produce odor or attract mosquitoes, and the operator must install rat, insect, rodent, bird or other pest controls such as screening or netting. Surface water must be controlled so composting materials never sit in standing water, and the compost must be turned at regular intervals to keep the material breaking down. Sewage may never be added to a compost pile under this section. Section 41:2-2 separately defines COMPOSTING as combining organic waste in proper ratios into rodent-resistant containers with added moisture and bulking agents, so an open pile lacking such a container arguably fails the underlying definition, independent of the Section 41:4-6-5 standards.