{"id":19104,"date":"2026-05-28T13:05:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T17:05:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/?post_type=article&p=19104"},"modified":"2026-07-23T09:51:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T13:51:49","slug":"wisconsin","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/ilsr.org\/es\/article\/composting-for-community\/wisconsin","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin \u2013 Composting Rules"},"template":"","class_list":["post-19104","article","type-article","status-publish","hentry","article_type-state-policy","initiatives-composting-for-community","topics-on-farm-composting","topics-permitting","impact_areas-food-security","authors-brenda-platt","authors-diana-harden"],"acf":{"details":{"featured_image":"","background_color":"tan","article_type":[36],"initiative":15,"display_event_fields":false,"start_date":null,"end_date":null,"start_time":null,"end_time":null,"time_zone":"America\/New_York","virtual_event":false,"location":"","topics":[99,101],"impact_areas":[18],"abstract":"Wisconsin revised its composting regulations in the early 2010s; the new rules came into effect June 1, 2012. To ensure the\u00a0quality of finished compost and minimize potential nuisances from materials mismanagement, the revisions require that composters use best management practices to curtail potential pathogens. Overall, the current regulations are conducive to the growth of the state\u2019s composting industry.","authors_tax":[601,695]},"sidebar":{"title":"\u00cdndice"},"page_layout":[{"acf_fc_layout":"layout_wysiwyg","_acfe_flexible_toggle":null,"component_wysiwyg":{"content":"Wisconsin revised its composting regulations in the early 2010s; the new rules came into effect on June 1, 2012. The revisions require that composters adhere to the permitting process to ensure the quality of finished compost and minimize potential nuisances from materials mismanagement.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nNot all composters are subject to the 2012 rule change, as regulations generally do not apply to home and small-sized (less than 50 cubic yards)<\/span> composting. The current rules found in <\/span>Chapter NR 500<\/span><\/a> \u2013 (<\/span>DNR # WA \u2013 33 \u2013 10<\/span><\/a>) of the Wisconsin Administrative Code provide various composting operations with degrees of licensing exemptions based on the type, capacity, and feedstock of the facility, as summarized below.<\/span>\r\n\r\nAccording to Jennifer Huffman of Wisconsin\u2019s Department of Natural Resources (<\/span>DNR<\/span><\/a>), volume thresholds are imposed on composting facilities contingent on the amount of material \u201cbelieved to be manageable at the time the composting rule was drafted.\u201d In general, operations with higher threshold limits are subject to a higher degree of regulation.<\/span>\r\n

Limited Exemptions<\/span><\/h2>\r\nNR 502.12<\/span><\/a> of the Wisconsin Administrative Code stipulates \u201climited\u201d exemptions for composting facilities of different sizes handling particular types of organic materials. The Wisconsin DNR refers to these as \u2018limited exemptions\u2019 since they are still expected to meet certain criteria, including standards for performance, basic operational and design, location, closure, reporting, and compost application.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nThe following types of operations have limited exemptions from licensing requirements:<\/span>\r\n