Different people have different expectations of how a disposal should work. I personally find this collar excellent. It nicely partly covers the disposal opening for sanitation and looks; it reduces sound; it is removable for cleaning the disposal cavity or removing an odd bit of leftover; it can be cleaned and sanitized by itself. Much better than a disposal I had with a frustrating nonremovable baffle/cover. You have to push the food through the baffle. I found it easy to do and to me an expected part of using a disposal. I find it preferable to an open hole or superficial covering. I bought a plastic pusher designed for such pushing and it works great. As long as I push food through, I encounter no water backup. Bottom line: Very good item if you approve of its design and operation.