The nice folks at Full Circle wanted me to give their kitchen compost collector a try and at the same time give you a chance to win one of your own. I know how much my readers love free stuff, but I won’t give away something before I have given it a thorough trial myself.
First, let’s take a look at what the Full Circle Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Collector brings to the table.
As you can see in the first photo (above), the design of the compost collector is simple and streamlined. It is a neutral color that will fit into most any kitchen décor without standing out.
One of my primary complaints about many of the compost collectors I have tried over the years is in keeping them clean. I had a beautiful bamboo contraption a few years back that worked wonders at controlling odors thanks to a carbon filter in the lid, but the plastic bin that held the kitchen waste would also hold odors and require a lot of work to get the smell to go away.
With the Full Circle Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Collector, that problem has been solved with the inclusion of a waste bag system. Now you just add a bag just like you would to your garbage bin and fill it up. When it’s full, take the whole thing – bag and all – right to the compost bin outside.
Oh, didn’t I mention that the large capacity 2.5 gallon Full Circle bags are completely compostable? How cool is that? These bags are made from corn starch! One word of caution regarding the use of compostable bags: they begin to break down as soon as they come in contact with moisture, so you will need to be careful when removing and transporting your bag to the compost pile as it just might leak a bit depending on how long you have allowed your kitchen waste to collect.
Here’s a shot of what the inside of the bin looks like when the compostable bag is in place. You can see that a metal ring holds the bag securely in place.
Okay, so we know the Full Circle Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Collector looks good and we know that they take environmental responsibility seriously. The real question that was on my mind was how well does it work?
This bin has no carbon air filter. In fact, there is no traditional air filter at all. My fear going into this trial was that it was going to look great on the counter but do nothing to keep odors and flies at bay. To test it out on those two points, I added all of the compostable material from a recent dinner prep. That included avocado skins and mango, both known to attract flies and gnats, and onion, obviously because it can stink up a storm if left out.
We have been using the Full Circle Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Collector regularly for a week now, and I intentionally left those items shown above in the bin to see just how well this little beauty would handle odors. The results are impressive. Outside of the bin there are absolutely no odors. Zero. To smell anything at all, I had to press my nose to the perforated lid, and even then there was barely any notable odor.
My verdict? This is one well-made compost collector. It is low profile, doesn’t stand out on the counter, and it does an incredible job at keeping odors down. As an added bonus, the compostable bags go a long way toward keeping things clean and tidy in the kitchen without adding any environmental guilt.
Now that you know how great this thing is, I bet you’re ready to win one of your own, am I right? Here’s all you have to do:
What’s the prize?
One Full Circle Fresh Air Odor-Free Kitchen Compost Collector
MSRP $34.99
How do I enter?
To enter, leave a comment on this blog post. A valid email address is required for notification of the winner.
Who can enter and how often?
No purchase necessary. This sweepstakes is open to entrants in the United States aged 18 and above. One entry per person, all duplicate entries will be voided.
What is the deadline for entries?
The deadline for sweepstakes entries is Wednesday, October 3, 2012 at 11:59pm ET.
