Second Chance Composting

10/06/2026

A big thank you to Edible Berkshires and Donna Fenn for coming out to visit our operation, learn more about what we’re doing at Second Chance Composting, and feature us in the Fall 2026 edition, both in print and online here: https://edibleberkshires.com/fall-2026/food-scraps-get-a-second-chance/.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to share more about our work and our efforts to help build a more sustainable food system here in the Berkshires and beyond.

Our mission has always been to produce high-quality finished compost, and we work backward from that goal by accepting only clean, high-quality feedstocks. We know where our finished compost ultimately goes: into local gardens and the farms that grow food for our community.

We have the pleasure of working with many local restaurants that purchase produce from local farms. That creates a circular food system: farm to table, table to compost, compost back to farm, and back to table. Keeping those resources local is an important part of building a stronger, more sustainable food system.

For a long time, the missing piece was a local food scrap hauler and processor that could return those nutrients to local soils. We’re proud to help fill that role and serve our community in this capacity.

Thanks again to Edible Berkshires for featuring our business. We look forward to working with even more local restaurants, farms, and food businesses in the future.

If you’d like to work with us, please reach out, or tag a local business that you think might be interested.

Thanks!

09/17/2026

I want to take a moment to thank Sean Taylor, a local entrepreneur and owner of several businesses throughout Berkshire County, including Freight Yard Pub and Restaurant, Trail House Kitchen and Bar, Craft Food Barn, The Store at Five Corners, and the newly opened Main & Mill.

Many people may not know that at the end of 2023 and into early 2024, we found ourselves in an unfortunate situation where we needed to move our composting operation quickly and with very little time to plan. Finding land that is close enough to the communities we serve, far enough away to operate a composting facility, and a landlord willing to work with a composting business can be incredibly difficult.

Sean stepped up and offered us his beautiful property in Savoy, giving us the opportunity to move, rebuild, and continue growing. The reality is that without Sean's support over the past few years, the local composting infrastructure would not have been able to grow the way it has through Second Chance Composting. I believe he deserves recognition and thanks from our community for that.

Sean has been an incredible landlord and business partner. He gave us the freedom to operate and grow the business while always being supportive, encouraging, and willing to have our back when he didn't necessarily have to. That trust meant a lot to us.

I've been running Second Chance Composting for nearly five years, and being around someone who has built such a successful and continually growing group of local businesses through hard work has been something I've genuinely appreciated. It seems like every time I look at the news, Sean is opening another location, starting something new, or finding another way to grow. I really respect that entrepreneurial spirit and what he has built here in the Berkshires.

He taught me a lot without ever having to say much. My only regret is that I haven’t had more opportunities to learn from him.

Most importantly, Sean gave both my business and my family a chance to adapt and grow during a challenging time. He trusted me to run the business in the way I believed was best and supported us through the inevitable challenges that came along the way.

I'm proud to have worked with him and incredibly grateful for what he has done for me personally, for my family, and for Second Chance Composting.

Thanks Sean!

09/10/2026

Check out what our friends at Dream Green Recycling are doing for local recycling. They're also a great community partner, offering their space as one of our Residential Community Composting Program drop off locations throughout the Berkshires.

Dream Green Recycling, rips 10,000 to 15,000 mattresses a year, from Berkshire County and beyond. It does clean-outs of homes and is expanding through diversification.

09/09/2026

It’s wild to think that just four and a half years ago, at Second Chance Composting had a dream, an idea, and a strong work ethic to back it up. We were just crazy enough to risk it all and bet on ourselves because we truly believed in what we were building.

We started out of our second-floor apartment, cleaning totes in the shower, collecting food scraps at the North Adams Farmers Market (less than one tote per week), and working on less than a quarter acre of mostly wooded land, shoveling and turning everything by hand.

Fast forward to today.

These latest photos show our dump trailer after just half a day of pickups. One half of one day. Beautiful, clean food scraps with absolutely no contamination. The last photo shows the windrow where that material was placed.

Today, we operate a full-scale composting facility in addition to our hauling operation, and this is just one of many windrows currently being composted on site.

In just over four years of collecting, we have now diverted 3,752,824 pounds of material, including 2,151,140 pounds of food scraps. That is the equivalent weight of approximately 1,250 cars!

The food scraps we have diverted are equivalent to 567,901 pounds of produce grown and 908,642 meals made.

Those numbers are incredible to look at, but what means even more to us is everything behind them: the people, the relationships, the hard work, the challenges, the lessons, and the belief that we could build something that would make a difference right here in our community.

As always, thank you to our family, team, staff, customers, partners, and community for helping make all of this possible.

I say it continuously, and I truly mean it: this is just the beginning. We will continue to grow, just as we always have, and continue taking big steps toward building the local composting infrastructure our communities need here in the Berkshires.

Four and a half years in, and I genuinely believe we are just getting started.

Thanks all!

08/27/2026

A big thank you to the North Adams Public Library and the Friends of the North Adams Public Library for partnering with Second Chance Composting and supporting residential composting in our community.

The library has always held a special place for me. Years ago, I volunteered there and met so many wonderful people in a welcoming environment. More recently, under the leadership of Assistant Director Ryan Miller, the library has continued to expand its programming, offering an incredible variety of educational and community-focused events. Every time I visit, there's something new happening.

As a family, we've made many memories at the library. We brought our daughter to children's programs when she was young, and years before that, I attended events there with my nieces and nephews. The North Adams Public Library has an outstanding staff that is dedicated to serving the community, and we're grateful for everything they do.

Libraries are more than just places to borrow books—they're hubs for learning, connection, and community. We're proud to partner with the North Adams Public Library to help raise awareness about composting and make it easier for local residents to keep food scraps out of the landfill.

Thank you entire North Adams Public Library team for your continued partnership and support!

08/25/2026

We want to introduce you to Tyler, an important part of the Second Chance Composting team.

Tyler has been with us since last summer, when he joined through the MassHire Berkshire Career Center program. What started as summer work has grown into a regular role with us, including filling in during the winter and now hauling with us each week. Over time, he has taken on more hours and responsibilities and become an increasingly important part of our team.

Tyler is hardworking, reliable, trustworthy, and always willing to learn. He isn't afraid to try new things, takes pride in his work, and has a great head on his shoulders. We admire his perseverance and tenacity, and he is a great example of what can happen when someone is given the opportunity to thrive and works hard to do so.

He shows up, works hard, and is always looking for ways to learn and better himself. That mindset is at the heart of what Second Chance Composting is about: growing, moving forward, and creating opportunities for a better tomorrow. We’re honored to support him as he continues to grow personally and professionally.

On a personal note, I’m grateful for the opportunity to share some of my experiences and life lessons with someone younger while learning from him along the way. Looking back on the business years from now, I think these are the special connections that will truly matter and stay with me in a deeper way—beyond all the food scraps we haul and compost we create.

He will continue to play a bigger role in both our hauling and processing operations as we continue to expand. We're grateful for everything he does for us and for our community.

Thanks, Tyler, for growing with us. We're proud to have you on the team.

08/21/2026

A big thank you to Bea's House in Lenox for partnering with us at Second Chance Composting to keep food scraps out of the landfill!

We're proud to work with owner Molly at all three of her Lenox restaurants—Bea's House, Pizzeria Boema, and Frankie's Ristorante.

From the day Bea's House opened, Molly made composting a priority, ensuring that food scraps are diverted and put to good use instead of going to waste.

We truly appreciate Molly's commitment to sustainability and her dedication to making a positive impact across all three restaurants. Partnerships like this help strengthen our local composting efforts and build a more sustainable community.

We're grateful to the entire Bea's House team and look forward to many years of working together.

If you're a local business interested in composting, we'd love to help. We make it simple, convenient, and easy to get started.

To learn more about Bea's House, visit https://beashouse.com/

08/13/2026

I'm excited to share that I've accepted the role of Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Bennington County Solid Waste Alliance (BCSWA)!

Having spent years working to expand composting and waste reduction in the Berkshires, I'm excited to bring that experience to Bennington County. I'll be partnering with schools, businesses, organizations, and community events to help increase recycling, composting, and landfill diversion throughout the county. If you see me out and about, please stop by and say hi.

For those wondering, this doesn't slow down Second Chance Composting one bit. Instead, it's another opportunity to use my experience to promote sustainable waste management throughout a wider region, built off the work we have been doing here in the Berkshires and beyond for the last 5 years.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve another community and look forward to building new partnerships that will have a lasting and positive impact on our environment. Together, we will make big, meaningful things happen.

I've attached a recent article from Vermont Country Magazine that shares more about my new role. To learn more about the Bennington County Solid Waste Alliance, visit www.benningtoncountywaste.org

08/12/2026

A big thank you to Haven Cafe Bakery in Lenox for partnering with us to keep food scraps out of the landfill!

Since joining our composting program last year, Haven Cafe & Bakery has significantly increased the amount of food waste they divert, including plenty of coffee grounds that are now being transformed into nutrient-rich compost instead of ending up in the trash.

It's been a pleasure working with owner Shelly, who has been a strong supporter of composting and thoughtful waste management from the very beginning. Business owners like Shelly play an important role in building a more sustainable community and creating a local, circular system that turns food scraps into a valuable resource.

Thank you to the entire Haven Cafe & Bakery team for your continued commitment to expanding your composting efforts. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to many more years of working together.

To learn more about Haven Cafe & Bakery, visit https://havencafebakery.com