Making Compost on Site

The Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines recommend setting up a method for producing compost on site from plant debris, food scraps and other compostable material.

Onsite Composting Best Practices

• Size compost systems for the amount of feedstock (compostable material) that is generated on site.
• Evaluate local, state, and federal regulations that may apply to an onsite composting system, depending on the size of the system and the type of feedstock.
• The compost site should not exceed a 2% slope. Locate compost system to avoid leachate and debris runoff into storm drains or water bodies.
• Provide access to water and allow space not only for compost bins and systems but also for easy access. Larger systems could benefit from allowing enough space for a front-end loader and providing a push wall. 

Resources for Onsite Composting

• Composting for the Home Gardener
• Bay-Friendly Landscape Guidelines: Sustainable Practices for the Landscape Professional
• Compost at Work: On-Site Composting for Businesses in Alameda County
• Cornell Waste Management Institute's Composting Fact Sheets
• CalRecycle's compost and mulch information