Overview
Alberta Environment and Protected Areas regulates all non-agricultural composting facilities. Agricultural composting facilities are those that are on farm that compost only livestock manure and are regulated by Alberta's government or the Natural Resources Conservation Board.
Facility types
Composting facilities are categorized as either Class I or Class II compost facilities. Many of these facilities are integrated with other municipal waste management facilities such as landfills and waste transfer stations.
Class I compost facilities
Class I compost facilities may accept organics waste that is not hazardous waste. This may include source separated organics, food waste, biosolids and agri-food processing waste.
Class II compost facilities
Class II compost facilities accept only manure or vegetative matter. Vegetative matter includes leaf and yard waste, brush and wood waste.
Notification, registration and approval
The requirements for composting facilities in Alberta are determined by the type and amount of feedstock (manure or vegetative matter) collected.
Class I compost facilities that accept up to 20,000 tonnes of feedstock per year require a Registration under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (EPEA). Class I compost facilities that accept more than 20,000 tonnes per year require an Approval under the EPEA.
Class II compost facilities that accept up to 20,000 tonnes of feedstock per year require a Notification.
Composting facilities, except for those that accept less than 500 tonnes of leaf and yard waste per year, are required to follow the requirements in the Code of Practice for Compost Facilities.
As of June 2026, Class II compost facilities that are operated by a local authority, accept leaf and yard waste only, and accept no more than 500 tonnes per year are no longer required to follow the Code of Practice for Compost Facilities or employ a certified operator. Notification is required.
Notifications and applications for registrations for waste composting facilities must be submitted through the Digital Regulatory Assurance System (DRAS).
Legislation
All composting facilities are subject to the regulatory requirements of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, including but not limited to reporting of releases or the acceptance of any unauthorized waste.
Code of Practice
The Code of Practice for Compost Facilities outlines the minimum requirements for the design, construction, operation and reclamation of composting facilities that accept up to 20,000 tonnes of feedstock per year.
The code of practice does not apply to leaf and yard waste composting facilities that accept 500 tonnes or less per year operated by a local authority. A local authority includes municipalities, regional services commissions and municipally controlled corporations.
Greenhouse gas credits
Composting facilities may qualify for offset credits in Alberta’s carbon offset credit system. Composting facilities that are diverting organic feedstock from landfills can use the "Quantification Protocol for Aerobic Composting" to determine avoided methane emissions from landfills. The opportunity for generating carbon offsets with this protocol arises from aerobically composting organic feedstock that would otherwise anaerobically decompose in landfills and produce methane emissions.