San Bernardino, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

070(A) generally bars every property owner or occupant from disposing of solid waste on their own property, listing that ban alongside rules against nuisance accumulation, illegal burning and dumping burning ash into containers. Division (A)(2) creates a specific carve-out for organic wastes that are composted on-site via backyard composting, exempting them from the general on-property disposal ban. That means turning yard trimmings and food scraps into compost in your own yard is exempt from the rule that otherwise applies to solid waste generally, and the chapter does not layer a separate permit, bin design or setback requirement onto that exemption.

070(A) as a whole still lets the City Manager order cleanup if any accumulation, including an unmanaged compost pile, becomes a nuisance. 010 that describes plant material and food waste for the mandatory curbside organics program remains the alternative for anyone who does not want to compost at home; residents are not required to compost, they are simply permitted to do so instead of setting that material out at the curb.