The disposal of organic waste from private households is the responsibility of the counties and independent cities. Regulations governing the management of organic waste are set forth in the individual waste disposal ordinances and fee schedules.
This includes, among other things, information on waste fees, waste containers (organic waste bins, how to order them), waste collection schedules (collection intervals), and existing pickup and drop-off systems for organic waste (e.g., yard trimmings).
If the public waste management authority does not yet offer an organic waste bin, alternative disposal options are available through drop-off systems (such as dropping off yard waste at recycling centers or using container services) as well as, in some cases, the use of an organic waste bin from private providers (commercial or nonprofit collection).
In addition to disposing of organic waste via the organic waste bin, most municipal ordinances list home composting as an option for self-recycling of organic waste. If a resident can demonstrate the ability to recycle organic waste through composting on their own property, they may be exempted from the requirement to use the organic waste bin.
The separate collection and subsequent recycling of biodegradable waste (organic kitchen waste and yard waste) has several environmental benefits: it reduces the volume of residual waste and simplifies the treatment of residual waste. Separate collection facilitates the high-quality recycling of organic waste through anaerobic digestion. In addition, the humus components and nutrients contained in the organic waste can be returned to the natural cycle as a digestion substrate or compost.