Backyard composting is allowed in Ann Arbor, which also runs curbside compost and yard-waste collection. Grass clippings, leaves, and yard waste must not be dumped into the storm sewer, which is an illicit discharge prohibited under city code.
Ann Arbor supports composting through both backyard bins and a curbside compost/yard-waste program, keeping organics out of the landfill. Residents may compost yard and food scraps on their property, kept tidy to avoid nuisance or rodent complaints. Critically, yard waste cannot be washed, blown, or dumped into storm drains: Ann Arbor's stormwater code (Chapter 33, section 2:215, Use of the stormwater system) prohibits unauthorized discharges, and grass clippings and leaves entering a storm pipe count as an illicit discharge. The Washtenaw County Water Resources Commissioner regulates county drains, and dumping yard waste into a drain or drain easement is prohibited.
Illicit discharge of yard waste into the storm sewer or a county drain violates Ann Arbor Ch. 33 (2:215) and county drain rules, exposing violators to abatement and municipal civil penalties.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Washtenaw County, MI
Washtenaw County has no dedicated hoarding ordinance, but Michigan's animal-cruelty law requires adequate care for every animal and escalates penalties sharp...
Washtenaw County, MI
Washtenaw County has no wildlife-feeding ordinance, but a statewide ban prohibits feeding and baiting deer and elk throughout the Lower Peninsula, which incl...
Washtenaw County, MI
Ann Arbor city parks are closed from midnight to 6 a.m. Statewide, Michigan's curfew law bars minors under 16 from streets, parks, and alleys from midnight t...
Washtenaw County, MI
Under Ann Arbor's Unified Development Code (Section 5.25.2), exterior lighting must be shielded so no light glares onto a public right-of-way or residential ...
Washtenaw County, MI
Ann Arbor adopted a dark-sky lighting ordinance (UDC Section 5.25) in 2021. New luminaires must be fully or partially shielded, use warm-white light (CCT 300...
Washtenaw County, MI
Ann Arbor regulates temporary signs (including garage-sale signs) by size and time, not content. A temporary freestanding sign may display up to 65 continuou...
See how Washtenaw County's composting rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.