Yard Waste Notifications

What is a Yard Waste Notification facility?

Yard Waste Notification facilities (or YWN sites) are small-scale composting and/or mulching operations designed to repurpose yard waste into a soil amendment or beneficial landscaping material. These operations are classified as Small Type 1 yard waste facilities and do not require a permit from the Division of Waste Management to operate; however, the facility owner/operator is required to notify and get approval from the DWM prior to beginning operations. The rules governing Yard Waste Notification sites are found here: NC Solid Waste Compost Rules 15A NCAC 13B .1400.

Acceptable Materials for YWN Sites

YWN sites can only accept Type I waste (commonly referred to as Yard Waste). Yard waste is defined in the Solid Waste Management Rule 15A NCAC 13B .0101 and includes “yard trash”; “land clearing debris”; and unpainted and untreated wood. Yard trash is material resulting from landscaping and yard maintenance including brush, grass, leaves, tree limbs, and similar vegetative material. Land clearing debris is material generated solely from land clearing activities and includes stumps, limbs, leaves, and grass.

Note: For sites accepting leaves ONLY, up to 30 cubic yards of separated leaves can be received on an annual basis without obtaining a yard waste notification.

Yard Waste Notification Requirements

YWN sites must comply with the Compost Rule 15A NCAC 13B .1402(g)(6)(A) concerning requirements for notification and approvals; site location; buffers; and operations criteria.

The primary two factors in determining whether a proposed yard waste operation qualifies as a Yard Waste Notification site are:

1. Size – the facility operations area must be less than two acres; and
2. Volume – the volume of material onsite allowed at any given time is limited to no more than 6,000 cubic yards, including finished product.

NOTE: Yard Waste facilities that do not meet both the size and the volume criteria do not qualify as a Notification site and must apply for a permit with NC Solid Waste Section Permitting Branch (as required in 15A North Carolina Administrative Code 13B .1405).

Yard Waste Notification sites must also comply with additional rule requirements, such as:

3. Buffers - minimum buffer requirements as specified in Rule .1404(a)(1) through (a) (10).
4. Operations – operational requirements as set forth in Rule .1406(1) through (11) and (16).
5. Fire Safety – measures to prevent fires and provide access for firefighting services; and
6. Record Keeping - Facilities are required to track incoming/outgoing volumes and provide the information to the DWM upon request.

NOTE: Yard Waste Notification sites are not approved for permanent storage or final disposal. Material must be processed and removed from the site on a regular basis, so that 75 percent of material, by weight or volume, is removed annually.  

YWN – Registration and Annual Renewal

The rules for YWN sites require owner/operators to contact and notify the DWM for 1) an approval for a new operation; and 2) an annual renewal to continue operation of a YWN site.  Notifications for New sites and for Renewals are made using DWM’s online notification form – you can access online forms below.

Annual Renewal notifications are due prior to June 1 each year, and New Facility forms must be submitted before starting operations.

There is a new registration system for 2025. All Yard Waste Notification facilities (New and Renewal) must register for an account on the new portal.
Please see below: