Arlington Heights panel approves composting ordinance

An Arlington Heights village panel earlier this week sanctioned a proposed ordinance that would allowing residential composting in the village.

The village board’s committee of the whole briefly discussed the matter before giving the green light. The entire village board now must approve the measure, which could happen at the regular board meeting on Monday.

The ordinance was drafted after gathering input from Arlington Heights Cool Cities and the Arlington Heights Garden Club.

Per the ordinance, composting containers must be kept a minimum five feet from the property line and 25 feet from neighboring homes.

Village staff also recommended prohibiting compost containers from being placed within five feet of public sidewalks or streets and in side yards of corner lots. If the side lot line is next to a street, the container placement must comply with the setback requirements of the home, officials said.

Other ordinance requirements include:

Ÿ No more than three compost containers are allowed on properties half acre or less.

Ÿ Compost containers can only be located in the side or rear yard.

Ÿ Only organic materials are allowed in a compost pile including items such as, but not limited to, soil, grass clippings, waste sod, wood chips, shredded paper, egg shells, straw, leaves, cooked and uncooked fruit and vegetables, and coffee grounds. Small amounts of activators may be added to help the decaying process.

Ÿ Compost cannot contain household garbage, meat, fatty food, bones, animal feces, diseased plants, treated wood, manure, or non-plant materials.

Ÿ Compost must be maintained to prevent harboring and breeding of animals and noxious odors.

Ÿ Newer composting techniques or devices may be allowed after review and approval by the director of Building and Health Services, in consultation with the Environmental Commission.

The Arlington Heights Park District is exempt from the requirements of the ordinance.