Austin’s Universal Recycling Ordinance includes organic waste requirements, which took effect in October 2016. Under the Ordinance, covered “food enterprises” must provide organics diversion services. Covered food enterprises must ensure that employees have access to services to collect and divert surplus food and organic material by transporting it to a composting or materials recovery facility; contracting with a licensed service provider that transports it to a composting or materials recovery facility; or sending it to a food bank, processor, material broker, farm, ranch, community garden, or similar site. Administrative rules require that covered food enterprises meet performance standards for either diversion capacity or diversion rates. Covered businesses must submit an annual diversion plan that includes information such as materials to be diverted, collection methods for these materials (including organics), and the capacity of their diversion services.