Pennsylvania, like many other states, has regulations that prohibit yard trimmings in landfills. The state has prohibited yard trimmings in landfills since 1990. However, because the applicability of the law banning green waste from landfills does not extend to grass clippings, Pennsylvania’s ban is less encompassing than other states’, including Massachusetts and Minnesota, which ban yard trimmings in landfills regardless of their source of origin. Below is a list of the sections of Pennsylvania’s Code pertaining to the leaf waste disposal ban.
Chapter 271.1 — Definition of “leaf waste”
Section 272.422 — Municipal ordinance requiring separation of leaf waste at residential, commercial, municipal, or institutional establishments
Section 273.201 (j) — Loads composed primarily of leaf waste may not be disposed at a municipal waste landfill
Section 277.201 (j) — Loads composed primarily of leaf waste may not be disposed at a construction/demolition waste landfill
Section 283.201 (g) — On and after September 26, 1990, loads composed primarily of leaf waste may not be processed at a municipal waste processing facility [which includes resource recovery facilities and incinerators but not transfer, composting facilities nor incinerators operating under permit-by-rule] except for purposes of composting.
On-Farm and Small-Scale Composting Permit
Pennsylvania has a General Permit (WMGM017) that covers both on-farm and non-farm small-scale composting facilities. This WMGM017 permit allows the composting, vermicomposting, and hermetiacomposting (using black soldier flies) of a variety of source-separated materials. Approved uses for finished compost include marketing or distribution as soil substitute, soil conditioner, soil amendment, fertilizer, or mulch.
In order to qualify for a general permit, the compost facility must meet the following criteria:
– “Does not exceed five (5) acres for on-farm composting, or two (2) acres for non-farm, small scale composting.
– “Does not store more than 500 tons or 1,000 cubic yards per year of source separated food scraps.
– “Does not store more than 3,000 cubic yards per acre of total materials at any one time.”
Read ILSR’s writeup on this permit here.
MORE INFORMATION
- Pennsylvania’s Compost Facility Regulations (PA Administrative Code, Chapter 281)
- Pennsylvania Department of the Environmental Protection – Composting Resources and Information
- Pennsylvania Department of the Environmental Protection – Leaf & Yard Waste Reduction
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Original post from July 30, 2012
Updated July 8, 2021