Peoria, IL Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Composting method
- Container required, no open piles
- Material source
- On-site generated material only
- Use location
- Compost must be used on site
- Applies to
- Community gardens and urban farms alike
- Governing section
- UDC Section 5.3.2.G.1.a.vii and G.2.a.ix
Summary
Peoria allows composting on community garden and urban farm sites only inside a container, using material generated on that same site. Section 5.3.2.G of the Unified Development Code states composting 'must be in a container, limited only to the materials generated on site and must be used on site,' the identical rule appearing under both the Community Garden and Urban Farm standards.
vii.Composting: Must be in a container, limited only to the materials generated on site and must be used on site. [Community Garden standard, 5.3.2.G.1.a.vii] ... ix.Composting: Must be in a container, limited only to the materials generated on site and must be used on site. [Urban Farm standard, 5.3.2.G.2.a.ix]
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 119).
Full Breakdown
G, Community Gardens and Urban Farms, within the Civic Use Performance Standards chapter. a, which do require zoning approval, either through the special use process in a residential district or Development Review Board review in a non-residential district. Both use types sit inside the same broader standards package: gardens are capped under 1 acre, fences around planting or composting areas cannot exceed 4 feet, chain-link is allowed but wire fencing is prohibited, and keeping animals or livestock on either a community garden or urban farm site is expressly prohibited.
Because the composting rule ties material sourcing to the same parcel, a gardener cannot bring in leaves, food scraps, or yard waste from off-site, and cannot compost in an open pile; the container requirement applies whether the operation is a small community garden or a larger urban farm with special use approval.
Violations & Fines
Composting outside a container, or composting material trucked in from off-site, is a performance-standard violation of Section 5.3.2.G that can jeopardize a community garden's exempt status or, for an urban farm, the underlying special use approval. The City can require correction of the noncompliant composting method as a condition of continued garden or farm operation, and an urban farm's special use permit remains subject to revocation for standards violations under the special use process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Peoria community garden compost food scraps from off-site?
Does an urban farm follow different composting rules than a community garden?
Is a permit required to compost on a Peoria community garden?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Peoria
Compare Peoria to another location·View the Illinois landscaping rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.