Sutter County, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

There is no Sutter County code provision that prohibits or specially permits home/backyard composting, so residents are generally free to compost yard trimmings and food scraps on their own property. The County's refuse rules are in the Code of Ordinances Chapter 710 (Sanitary Disposal of Garbage, Trash and Rubbish): section 710-055 requires that refuse from dwellings in the unincorporated area be removed at least once each week, and section 710-057 prohibits disposing of rubbish by burying it in or under the ground - a rule aimed at illegal dumping rather than at a properly managed compost pile. The big change for organics is a state mandate, not a county composting ordinance: California Senate Bill 1383 (SB 1383), effective January 1, 2022, requires residents and businesses to keep food scraps, food-soiled paper and green/yard waste out of the landfill, typically by subscribing to an organics (green-cart) collection service. Sutter County and its franchised hauler implement SB 1383 organics collection; backyard composting is an accepted complement that can reduce what goes in the cart. Residents should keep compost contained and free of vectors/odor so it does not become a nuisance, avoid burying refuse, and follow the hauler's green-cart guidelines for organics that are not home-composted.