Siskiyou County, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)

Backyard composting is permitted in unincorporated Siskiyou County and is a recognized way to divert organic waste. There is no county ordinance banning home compost piles or bins, though compost should be managed so it does not create a nuisance, odor, vector (rodent), or fire-hazard problem. The larger regulatory driver is the statewide organic-waste law, Senate Bill 1383, which since 2022 requires every California jurisdiction to provide organic-waste (green-waste and food-scrap) collection to residents and businesses and to divert organics from landfills. Home composting is encouraged under SB 1383 as one way residents can handle their own organic material. Siskiyou County has codified the food-recovery side of SB 1383 in its Edible Food Recovery Ordinance (County Code Title 5, Sanitation and Health, Chapter 5-14), which requires certain food generators to arrange for the recovery of surplus edible food. Garbage and refuse handling generally is covered by the county's Garbage and Refuse Disposal chapter (Title 5, Chapter 1). For residents, the practical picture is: compost at home if you wish, use the organic-waste collection service where provided, and keep compost tidy and contained. Burning yard waste is separately restricted - open burning of vegetation requires a fire permit during fire season under Title 3, Chapter 3 (Section 3-3.04), so composting or chipping is often the better disposal route.