CHICAGO COMPOSTING COMPLIANCE TOOLKIT
There are three ways to compost organic waste in Chicago without a permit:
1) Tier 1 Garden
2) Tier 2 Garden
3) Food Scrap In-vessel
AND no matter the option above, ALL work sites must also comply with a
Basic Checklist
The following sections provide requirements for the three methods and basic worksite expectations.
Checklists Sections:
Note: See DEFINITIONS section for footnotes [#]
The basic composting standards for permit-exempt work sites.
Compost worksite has to have:
No odor, litter, dust or noise nuisance.
No rodents, pests, etc.
No standing water.
No sewage.
Compost material has to be:
Mixed or turned at regular intervals.
Behind screens/netting OR placed in a sealed bin or vessel OR ground up into pieces.
* This checklist represents items (2)(a) through (f) of Chicago ordinance 7-28-715.
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A tier 1 garden is exempt from a permit, if it:
Composts only landscape waste.
Is NOT engaged in commercial activities related to composting.
Has no more than 10 cubic yards of landscape waste, composting material and end product compost at any time. [1]
Uses all generated compost on-site.
Annually registers with the city to include garden and contact information. [2]
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A tier 2 garden is exempt from a permit, if it:
Composts only landscape waste and limited organic waste. [3]
Buries or secures all food scraps by the end of the day.
Keeps a ratio of 1:10 of food scraps to yard waste.
Uses all generated compost on-site.
Is NOT engaged in commercial activities related to composting.
Has no more than 10 cubic yards of landscape waste, limited organic waste, composting material and end product compost on-site at any one time. [1]
Maintains on site, and make available, records of all limited organic waste received from off-site.
Annually registers with the city to include garden and contact information. [2]
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A food scrap in-vessel compost operation does not need a permit if it:
Composts organic waste that is generated on-site.
Completes composting in-vessel. [4]
Has no more than 5 cubic yards of landscape waste, composting material and end product compost at any time. [5]
Uses all generated compost on-site.
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1: Express written authorization can be issued by the commissioner of streets and sanitation allowing up to 25 cubic yards.
2: Registration. Any operator shall annually register with the city's on-line or other registration portal, or a third party registration portal approved by the commissioners by rule. Such registration must include the name and contact information of the operator, the name and contact information of the owner, the name and contact information of the individual principally in charge of the site operations (if different from the operator), and any other information that may be required by the commissioners by rule. The operator must keep such information current as provided by the commissioners by rule.
3: "Limited organic waste" means organic waste, other than landscape waste, which does not include: fish; fish products: poultry; poultry products: meat; meat products: eggs (excluding egg shells): cheese, butter or other dairy products; fat; grease: oil or oily food; cat, dog, or other animal excreta; animal feed losses or animal bedding; colored or glossy paper; sawdust from pressure-treated plywood or lumber; diseased or insect-infested houseplants or soil; or biodegradable or compostable plastic.
4: "In-vessel" means composting which is conducted entirely within a fully enclosed container, with no opening having a dimension greater than 1/4 inch in any direction.
5: Express written authorization can be issued by the commissioner of streets and sanitation allowing a greater volume.
This toolkit is intended to help people comprehend the expectations of ordinance 7-28-715 and make getting approval easy to acquire (e.g., from a board or senior leadership, etc).
For a full text of the ordinance, download the PDF at:
Questions about this doc?
Email:
CircularSolutionsChicago@gmail.com
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