Official websites use .gov A
.gov website belongs to an official government
organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A
lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to
the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official,
secure websites.
Compost procurement ordinances and reporting for local government
State law says certain counties and cities must adopt a Compost Procurement Ordinance (CPO) and submit a related report to Ecology every year. This is an effort to build and track the state’s compost market as more food and yard waste is collected under the Organics Management Laws. This page covers CPOs, including who needs one, what to include, and how to submit an annual report.
Compost Procurement Ordinances (CPOs) require cities and counties to seek opportunities to buy and use compost.
Compost has many uses, including:
Landscaping.
Before and after construction work.
Preventing erosion.
Filtering stormwater runoff.
Making fertilizer last longer.
Improving the stability and longevity of roadways.
What cities or counties need a compost procurement ordinance?
Cities and counties with 25,000 residents or more.
Cities and counties with less than 25,000 residents, that have taken action to provide residential organic materials collection. This includes any of the following:
A city offering their own organics collection program, including a dropbox program.
A city or county with a contract that offers organic materials collection.
A city or county's Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) or a local service ordinance directs the UTC-franchised hauler to provide organics collection.
Check for a city or county’s CPO in the Box Portal. The Local Government Workbook (also on Box) shows what cities and counties need a CPO and the year of their last report.
If you have not adopted a CPO yet, reach out to your local Ecology planner or Ecology’s organics team for resources.
Cities and counties who grow to more than 25,000 residents or take action to provide organic materials collection have one year to adopt a CPO.
Compost procurement reporting
Every city or county that adopts a CPO must complete and submit an annual report to Ecology. You can fill out and submit the report through Secure Access Washington (SAW). Reports are due annually by March 31 for the previous years’ data. For example, reports for 2025 activity are due on March 31, 2026.
Total tons of organic material diverted from landfills and collected through curbside programs and drop-off sites.
The facility or facilities where organic materials were taken for processing into compost, biogas, woodchips, or other commodity.
The total volume and cost of all compost purchased by the city, county, and their contractors.
The source facility or facilities that made the compost purchased.
Frequently asked questions
Compost Procurement Ordinance Q&A
If required to adopt a CPO, the county or city must pass an ordinance – not a resolution – or they can amend an existing procurement ordinance to include compost. Jurisdictions with a CPO must report on organics diverted and compost procured each year.
The requirement is for all state agencies and local governments to consider whether compost products can be utilized in publicly-funded projects. If it is determined that compost products can be used, then they must be used unless certain exceptions related to cost, availability, and quality apply (RCW 43.19A.120).
RCW 43.19A.110 requires counties and cities to adopt specifications for compost products to be used in road projects.
RCW 43.19A.130 encourages local governments to purchase compost from the compost facility that serves its residents.
The online system for local governments to submit their compost procurement activity reports is available in Secure Access Washington (SAW). The first report, due by March 31, 2025, should include the available data for 2024.
Cities and counties that adopt a CPO must “develop strategies to inform residents about the value of compost and how the jurisdiction uses compost in its operations.” These strategies will need to be included in the local solid waste management plan the jurisdiction participates in when that plan is amended or updated. Information on the value of compost and making and using compost are on our compost page.
Contact the Municipal Research Service Center through their Ask MRSC inquiry service. You can see ordinances from other cities and counties on the Box platform.
CPO Report Q&A
The city and county should submit separate reports. The city would report data from collection programs in the city, and compost purchased by city departments. The county would capture data from collection programs serving unincorporated areas. Cities and their counties need to communicate with each other to make sure there is no duplicate data being reported.
If it is a city or county program, then the volume should be included in the total tons of organic materials on the annual report. If drop sites are privately owned and open to commercial customers, the city or county can include the total volume if it is available from the drop site owner(s).
No, do not include biosolids since only material that is collected curbside and at drop-off locations are counted in this report as diverted.
Yes. Since the biosolids was one of the feedstocks that went through the composting process that created the finished compost, then the entire amount is considered compost and should be reported.
Yes, if the compost facility that processed your organic materials into compost also sold you compost. However, they could be different facilities if you buy compost made by another compost facility.
Only report the facility that created the compost you purchased – not a home improvement store or retail-only location. If you purchase compost somewhere other than where it was created, be sure to check the bag or ask the store representative for the name of the compost facility that made it. If you cannot determine the facility that processed compost, you can leave this information out of the report.
No. Only report the amount of compost that is mixed with other materials. Any product blended with compost should not be included. Ask the supplier what percentage is compost and apply that percentage to the total volume and cost of the blended product for your report.
Do not report woodchips or mulch as part of your compost procurement. However, yard and woody debris that is collected curbside or at a drop site should be included as part of the weight of organic materials diverted.
Ecology will use the data to measure and track the volume of organic materials that are collected by city and county programs and how much compost they purchase. Over time, this will give us a good idea if jurisdictions are helping support circular systems for organic waste.
