Salt Lake City, UT Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Residential backyard composting is treated as a normal accessory use in unincorporated Salt Lake County and does not require a permit. Utah Department of Environmental Quality Division of Waste Management exempts home composting from solid waste regulation when it is for the resident own use and limited to yard trimmings and pre-consumer vegetable kitchen waste. Best practices include a balanced mix of greens and browns, regular turning, and keeping bins at least 5 to 10 feet from property lines to avoid nuisance. Adding meat, dairy, fats, pet waste, or diseased plants is discouraged because they attract vermin and create odors, and repeated nuisance complaints can trigger code enforcement under Salt Lake County Code 9.04. USU Extension offers free composting classes and discounted bins through the Utah Compost Coalition. Salt Lake County does not currently offer municipal curbside food waste collection, but commercial drop-off is available through Wasatch Resource Recovery and Momentum Recycling in the valley. Large-scale composting operations accepting off-site material require a UDAF feed and forage registration if selling compost or a DEQ solid waste Class V compost permit depending on volumes, which is relevant only to commercial operations, not households.