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Allegheny County, PA Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Homeowner composting
No permit required
Commercial/municipal facilities
Annual permit required
Regulator
Allegheny County Health Department
Code chapter
Chapter 570, Solid Waste

Summary

Homeowners composting leaves or yard waste in their own garden don't need a county waste-facility permit, unlike commercial composting operations regulated under Chapter 570.

City-specific rules exist: Pittsburgh, and Penn Hills have their own yard waste collection rules that differ from Allegheny County's county-level regulations. If you live in one of those cities, check the city-specific page instead.

No person may own or operate a municipal waste disposal facility, processing facility, residual waste facility, construction/ demolition waste facility, chemotherapeutic waste facility, infectious waste facility, special handling waste facility, resource recovery facility, leaf composting facility, yard waste composting facility or recycling facility unless the person has obtained and is in possession of an unrevoked or unsuspended annual operating permit for the facility from the Department. An annual operating permit is required until final closure of the facility. An operating permit is not required for:

(1) The use or application of poultry and livestock manure, or residual materials in liquid or solid form generated in the production and marketing of poultry, livestock, fur-bearing animals and their products, provided that such agricultural waste is not hazardous waste. The term includes the residual materials generated in producing, harvesting, and marketing of all agronomic, horticultural, and silvicultural crops or commodities grown on what are usually recognized and accepted as farms, forests, or other agricultural facilities.

(2) The use or application of food processing waste used for agricultural purposes.

(3) The beneficial use of municipal wastes for which prior written approval under Penn DER regulations has been received.

(4) Leaf composting or yard waste composting by a homeowner for use in, on, or around the home garden.

(5)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4857026; v12 updated 2024-06-04; through 06-04-2024).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 570 requires anyone operating a leaf or yard waste composting facility to hold an annual operating permit from the Allegheny County Health Department. Section 570-11(A)(4) carves out a specific exemption: homeowners composting leaves or yard waste for use in, on, or around their own home garden need no permit at all, unlike commercial or municipal composting facilities, which must be permitted and renewed annually.

Violations & Fines

Operating a commercial or municipal leaf or yard-waste composting facility without the required annual permit is a violation under Chapter 570's permit and penalty provisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to compost yard waste at home?
No. Allegheny County exempts homeowner leaf and yard-waste composting for use in your own garden from the operating-permit requirement.
What about a business that composts yard waste?
A business or municipal operation running a leaf or yard-waste composting facility must get an annual operating permit from the County Health Department.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Allegheny County

All Allegheny County rules

Compare Allegheny County to another location·View the Pennsylvania trash & recycling overview

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