Saint Paul, MN Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Under Sec. 08 of the Saint Paul Legislative Code, residential composting is allowed by right but only inside an enclosed container built of a durable material such as wood, block or sturdy metal fencing. The volume cap is 100 cubic feet for city lots smaller than 10,000 square feet and 150 cubic feet for larger lots, with a hard 5-foot height limit on any bin. Placement is regulated too: the container must sit at least 5 feet from any lot line, no closer than 20 feet to any habitable building other than the resident's own home, and at least 2 feet from an alley where one exists.

Only organic yard waste and raw, nongreasy food scraps may go in, grass clippings, leaves, weeds, sawdust, wood ash, straw, fowl litter, fruit and vegetable trimmings, and commercially available compost material are listed as acceptable. Meat, bones, fat, oils, dairy products and other greasy kitchen waste, whole branches or logs, plastics, synthetic fibers, human or pet waste, and heavily diseased plants are expressly prohibited from the container. Residents must also manage the pile to minimize odor and keep decomposition working properly. Enforcement runs through the citywide solid-waste enforcement mechanism in Sec.

06: the department of public works and/or the department of safety and inspections can inspect any premises connected with solid-waste handling at any reasonable time and issue a written order to correct a violation, and any violation of Chapter 357 not otherwise specified is a misdemeanor.