Riverside, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Composting and organic-waste handling in unincorporated Riverside County is driven by California Senate Bill 1383 (the Short-Lived Climate Pollutants Reduction Act of 2016), which since January 1, 2022 requires every jurisdiction to provide organic-waste recycling and requires residents and businesses to keep organic materials (food scraps, food-soiled paper, yard and landscape trimmings, and untreated wood) out of the trash. Riverside County Waste Resources administers the program for the unincorporated county. Where service is provided, most residents use a three-cart system: a green cart for organics, a blue cart for mixed recyclables, and a grey/black cart for trash, and placing organics or recyclables in the trash cart is prohibited. SB 1383 expressly allows residents to manage organic material through home (backyard) composting or community composting and through self-haul to an approved facility as alternatives to subscribing to green-cart collection. Importantly, some sparsely populated portions of unincorporated Riverside County have been granted a low-population waiver, so curbside green-waste and organics recycling is not currently available there; in those areas, backyard composting and self-haul are practical options. Backyard composting is encouraged countywide because it reduces landfill methane and produces free soil amendment; compost piles should be managed to avoid odors and vector (rodent/fly) problems under County environmental health standards.