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One of the keys to composting is aeration. The bacteria need oxygen to carry out the aerobic respiration that creates rich compost. One way to aerate your compost is with a pitchfork or a compost turning tool. If you keep your compost in a tumbler, however, all you have to do is turn the container. Since most compost barrels can be expensive, you may be interested in building your own for much less money and an hour of your time.

Steps

1. Buy a plastic drum, between 20 and 55 gallons (75-200 liters), and a 48 inch (1.25 meter) length of 2 inch (5 cm) schedule 80 PVC pipe, or a length of 1 1/2 to 2 inch (3.8-5 cm) galvanized steel pipe.
2. Drill holes in the center of the top and bottom of your drum, large enough for the pipe you are going to use for an axle.
3. Pass the pipe or post through the center holes.
4. Build a wooden saw buck to support the compost barrel. Nail 2 sets of 2×4s (pieces of wood that are 1.5? × 3.5? or 38×89 mm in terms of height and width, respectively) in an x-frame, and nail two 2×4s across the feet at the bottom for support.
5. Set the barrel with the pipe in the wooden 2×4 saw buck.
6. Drill holes in the body of the barrel with a 1-inch (2.5 cm) drill for aeration.
7. Rotate the barrel in the sawhorse frame using the pipe or post as an axle.
8. Cut a hole in the side and add simple hinges and a hasp to create a door with the piece you cut from the side of your drum.
9. Fill your drum composter with leaves or other compostable material, and allow your new “garden helper” to do its job. You will want to rotate the drum a few times every day or so, depending on the outdoor temperature. (See Tips below for ideas on how to add a handle.)
10. Check the contents occasionally, and when they are broken down by the bacteria in the drum, remove them to use for soil amending, mulch, and other purposes around your lawn and garden.

Tips

• If your barrel is a light color you might consider painting it a dark green, brown, or black. There are paints like Krylon that work particularly well on plastic. The dark color will absorb light and raise the temperature of your compost.
• If the contents of the drum are very dry, moistening them will accelerate the composting process, but do not saturate them with water.
• Composting (decomposing) occurs more quickly in warm weather.
• If you would like to add a handle to help you turn the barrel, drill a 1″ (2.5 cm) hole all the way through one end of the pipe. Slide a piece of rebar or other round steel tubing that is 1″ (2.5 cm) in diameter through the holes. The rebar should be about 2′ (60cm) long. Center it so that you now have two handles on the end of the pipe and can grasp them to turn the barrel. You can cover them with pipe insulation for an easier grip.
• You could also build the tumbler on a diagonal axis (enough to create a slope) and put a plug in the bottom of the drum, which would allow you to add water that will help the decomposition and create a liquid fertilizer when drained from the drum.

Warnings

• Filling your composter with green (fresh cut) lawn trimmings or other material may cause it to generate too much heat, in which case it may begin to smolder, if the container is not rotated occasionally.

Things You’ll Need

• One 20-55 gallon (72-200 liter) plastic drum.
• One 48 inch (1.25 meter)length of pipe with a 2 inch diameter (5 centimeter).
• 2X4 treated lumber.
• Nails
• Circular saw.
• Drill motor, hole saw, and drill bits.
• Basic hand tools. (hammer, measuring tape, square)
• Hinges

Related wikiHows

• How to Use Your Home Built Tumble Composter to Create Rich Compost
• How to Compost
• How to Build a Compost Bin
• How to Find Free Compost Ingredients
• How to Make Your Own Worm Compost System

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world’s largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Build a Tumbling Composter. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

The process of becoming registered to ISO 14001 can be confusing. Common questions we are asked include the following:

 - Who is qualified to issue ISO 14001 Registration Certificates?

 - Who is qualified to perform the registration audits?

 - How long is a certificate good for and what is the registration process?

These are a few common questions asked by organizations considering implementing an EMS which will be explained here.

What Organizations are Qualified to Issue ISO 14001 Certifications?

Authority to issue internationally recognized ISO 14001 certificates is linked to the International Accreditation Forum. The International Accreditation Forum, Inc. (IAF) is the world association of Conformity Assessment Accreditation Bodies and other bodies interested in conformity assessment in the fields of management systems, products, services, personnel and other similar programs of conformity assessment. Its primary function is to develop a single worldwide program of conformity assessment which reduces risk for business and its customers by assuring them that accredited certificates may be relied upon. IAF members accredit certification or registration bodies that issue certificates attesting that an organization’s management, products or personnel comply with a specified standard (called conformity assessment).

In the United States ANAB is the main accrediting body for the registrars who actually issue the ISO 14001 Certificates. ANAB is a member of the International Accreditation Forum and a signatory of the IAF multilateral cooperative arrangements (MLAs) for QMS and EMS. Through the IAF MLAs and the Multilateral Cooperative Accreditation Arrangement, ANAB cooperates with other accreditation bodies around the world to provide value to its accredited CBs and their clients, ensuring that accredited certificates are recognized nationally and internationally. The global conformity assessment system ensures confidence and reduces risk for customers engaging in trade worldwide.
At last count ANAB had accredited 45 organizations (28 located in the USA) to issue ISO 14001 registration Certificates.

Registrars have been accredited to issue ISO 14001 certificates by ANAB. ANAB evaluates each registrar against the requirements ISO/IEC 17021 Conformity Assessment - Requirements for Bodies Providing Audit and Certification of Management Systems when determining if the registrar should be authorized to issue ISO 14001 Certificates. Accredited registrar hire competent auditors to perform the registration audits and provide a record of the evidence reviewed as part of the auditor’s recommendation for or against registration of the organizations being audited.

Which Individuals are Qualified to Perform ISO 14001 Registration Audits for Registrars?

One of the requirements of ISO 17021 which must be met by all registrars is that the auditors performing audits on behalf of the registrar are competent to do so.

7.2.5 The certification body shall have a process to achieve and demonstrate effective auditing, including the use of auditors and audit team leaders possessing generic auditing skills and knowledge, as well as skills and knowledge appropriate for auditing in specific technical areas. This process shall be defined in documented requirements drawn up in accordance with the relevant guidance provided in ISO 19011.

ISO 19011 is specific guidance for registrars on how to establish audit programs and determine auditor competence.

Auditors can demonstrate they have achieved a level competence through personal certification by RABQSA International which is itself accredited by JAZ-ANZ. However, this certification alone is not sufficient evidence to ANAB that auditors working for registrars are competent to perform audits. In addition the registrar must, at a minimum observe the auditors performance during an actual audit before they are deemed competent by the registrar.

Figure 1 shows the links between the various organizations making up the registration process.

How is the ISO 14001 Registration Process Performed?

ISO 14001 Certificates are good for a period of three years assuming the organizations successfully completes a series of surveillance audits during that three year period. The registration process begins with a documentation review performed by the auditor to determine if the organization has addressed all the elements of the IS O14001 Standard. The outcome of the document review can be a recommendation by the auditor to proceed to the registration audit process or a recommendation to delay the registration process until the organizations has addressed deficiencies identified by the auditor during the Document Review.

The registration audit begins with what is often referred to as a Stage 1 assessment. The lead auditor visits the site for a day or so to review the organizations environmental aspects and verify conformance with some of the basic ISO14001 requirements that could not be verified during the Document Review. The purpose of the Stage 1 audit is also to provide the auditor with additional information about the facility to enable them to prepare a plan for the Stage 2 assessment. The Stage 1 audit is also is a final check on the readiness of the organizations to undergo the Stage 2 Assessment.

The Stage 2 assessment is of longer duration (several auditors on site for several days) than the Stage 1 assessment this is a deeper drilling into the organizations EMS that is performed in either the Document Review or the Stage 1 Assessment. The Registration Assessment is where the audit team collects and records the evidence of the organizations conformance to the requirements of ISO 14001 and the organizations own EMS. This is the evidence that the audit team will submit to the registrar supporting their recommendation for registration.

Successful completion of the registration audit begins three year period that the ISO 14001 certificate is valid. During that three year period the registrar will perform periodic surveillance audits (at least once per year) to confirm that the EMS is sustained effective in enable the organization to continually improve its environmental performance. At the end of the three year period the re-registration assessment is performed which is of similar duration and scope to the original registration audit.