I’ve always wanted to compost but now in my new living space with a lack of a backyard or garden, and being afraid of killing worms, Full Circle has found a way for me to save my food scraps sustainably.
In comes the Fresh Air kitchen compost collector. Isn’t she purty? Small, efficient, and with bright accents, this recycled plastic bin makes the once stinky business of collecting compost a much fresher experience.
That is thanks to the holes on the lid that let it breathe, allowing oxygen to easily flow through my organic waste. The “aerobic breakdown” allow the food to decomposes slowly and stay drier so you have less orders and insects.
Here we have some lovely food scraps. For cleaner veggie scraps, I put them in the freezer for soup stock. For those unusable scraps, I typically would have thrown this away and always felt like I could do more with them. Now I can!
I used the bin for one week with relatively no odor outside of when opening to put more scraps in. The key is the air flowing top but also the metal rim that holds the compost bag in place and sealed for the top to fit perfectly. I kept it on my counter top for easy access but it is so compact, it can easily be put in a lower cabinet or a lower shelf in the fridge. The size is a great fit for any size kitchen and apartment/house but is super efficient for smaller kitchens like mine, so that can eliminate a lack of space conversation.
It is drop off day! I can easily say I collected about 8-10lbs of food scraps during the week.
I went to one of the LES Ecology Center Drop off points here in NY at the Union Square Greenmarket/Farmer’s Market.
The Ecology Center collects food waste at various locations throughout the city. They complete the composting process at their lower east side facility, then from that, create a fertilizing soil that anyone can purchase at the market or from their facility.
Life is a cycle and this doesn’t change in nature. Composting is our way of helping nature recycle itself. When biodegradable matters such as food is allowed to return to it natural state, it is also a source of fertilizing nourishment for growing.
“The average New York City household throws out over two pounds of food waste per day, amounting to over 3,000 tons of organic matter that must be trucked off to distant landfills. In a landfill, organic matter breaks down in the absence of oxygen, creating methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, which together with transportation impacts contribute to climate change.”–LES Ecology Center
What you can compost:
Vegetables
Coffee grounds and filters
Tea and tea bags
Crushed eggshells (but not eggs)
Nutshells
Houseplants
Leaves
Cardboard rolls, cereal
Boxes, brown paper bags
Clean paper
Paper towels
Shredded newspaper
Fireplace ashes
Wood chips, sawdust,
Toothpicks, burnt matches
Cotton and wool rags
Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Grass clippings, yard trimmings
Hair and fur
Hay and straw
What you CAN’T compost:
meat
dairy
oily foods
dog or cat feces, kitty litter
coal or charcoal
coconut
diseased and/or insect infested houseplants or soil
The Fresh Air collector is available on Amazon.com for $34.99. For their efficient design and delivery on promises of less odor, and it recyclability factor, Full Circle Collector gets 4 leaves! Also be mindful that biodegradeable bags are super flimsy and prone to leaking, so try doubling up if you know you’ll have lots of scraps.
Disclosure: Complimentary bin is courtesy of Full Circle. I received no other compensation and no requirements that I express a particular point of view.
