Ulster County, NY Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Ulster County Code § 304-19
- Core duty
- Separate yard waste from trash
- Home composting
- Explicitly protected, not banned
- Max fine
- $1,000 per day per violation
Summary
Ulster County requires yard waste kept out of the trash for composting, but its recycling law explicitly protects residents' right to compost on-site or privately instead.
All persons shall separate yard waste from solid waste for the purposes of collection and composting.
B. Each municipality within the County may provide, or obtain rights in, a yard waste composting facility for the disposal of yard waste.
C. Yard waste may be composted at a composting facility designated by the municipality or at a solid waste management facility that receives and composts yard waste as may from time to time be designated by the Agency. If no facility is designated, the hauler of yard waste may deliver the yard waste to a private composting facility.
D. This section shall not prohibit private composting or on-site disposal of yard waste by any person in compliance with any existing law.
E. The Agency may, from time to time, promulgate rules and regulations pursuant to § 304-11 for the preparation, separation, collection, and disposal of yard waste.
F. All yard waste shall be prepared, separated, collected and disposed of according to the rules and regulations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4818905; v25 updated 2025-11-18; through 11-18-2025).
Full Breakdown
Under Ulster County Code § 304-19, everyone in the county must separate yard waste, grass clippings, leaves, brush, from regular solid waste so it can be composted rather than landfilled. Municipalities or the County's Resource Recovery Agency can designate composting facilities, and haulers without a designated site may take yard waste to a private composter. Critically, § 304-19(D) preserves home composting: the article does not prohibit private composting or on-site disposal of yard waste. Violations of the separation mandate fall under the article's general penalty section.
Violations & Fines
Failing to separate yard waste from trash risks a fine up to $1,000 per day per violation under § 304-26, plus possible civil penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost yard waste in my own backyard in Ulster County?
Do I have to bag leaves and brush separately from trash?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ulster County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Ulster County to another location·View the New York landscaping rules overview
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