From Trash to Transformation: GreenRock Recycling gives new life to waste in Statesboro

What began with two bags of plastic and a trip to a closed recycling center has grown into a recycling company that is keeping more than 75 tons of waste out of local landfills each year.

Statesboro entrepreneur Jon Cook founded GreenRock Recycling after Bulloch County’s recycling program ended in 2018, developing a patented process that turns household waste into useful products for the community.

“I remember vividly going to one of the recycling centers with my two bags of plastic,” said Cook, owner and operator of GreenRock Recycling. “When I was told to throw them in the landfill, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

That personal commitment to recycling evolved into years of experimentation, invention, and problem-solving. Today, GreenRock Recycling collects more than 75 tons of recyclable material annually that would otherwise end up in local landfills.

Unlike traditional recycling programs that focus on a limited number of plastics, GreenRock can recycle approximately 98% of household plastics. Through Cook’s patented process, collected plastics, glass, cardboard, and wood waste are transformed into durable materials used for landscaping, construction, pavers, tabletops, and other products.

“Traditional recycling focuses on a single type of plastic,” Cook explained. “The GreenRock process is different because it’s comprehensive. We focus on household plastics and find a way to keep them out of the waste stream.”

The company’s mission goes beyond recycling. Cook’s goal is to create a local, circular system where materials are collected, processed, and reused within the community. Some GreenRock products are already available at McKeithen’s Hardware, and the City of Statesboro has utilized the company’s lightweight concrete product, BioCrete, in local projects.

For Cook, the work is rooted in stewardship.

“This is not about an ideology,” he said. “It’s simply a wise thing to do. If we have a resource that we can reuse, then we should reuse that resource.”

GreenRock offers curbside recycling service for a monthly fee throughout Statesboro and Brooklet, along with free community recycling drop-offs at Pittman Park Church on the first and third Saturdays of each month. From 10am-2pm on those days, they accept all of their usual items plus cardboard and paperboard. The drop-offs are open to the public, including residents of other communities.

“Those with the ability to act have the responsibility to act,” Cook said. “This is my one thing. I have the ability, so I’m going to do it for as long as possible and get it to as many people as possible.”

The next community drop-off is this Saturday, June 6, 2026. To learn more about GreenRock Recycling, click here.