Robin Greenfield | |
|---|---|
 Greenfield during Trash Me campaign in 2016 | |
| Born | August 28, 1986 |
| Occupation | Environmental activist |
| Years active | 2013–present |
| Website | robingreenfield |
Robin Greenfield (born August 28, 1986) is an American environmental activist. [1] He is known for raising awareness for sustainability issues, often through attention-grabbing tactics. [2]
Greenfield was born and raised in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he and his three siblings were raised by a (non-religious) Jewish [3] single mother. [4] At the age of 18 he became an Eagle Scout. [5]
After graduating from Ashland High School in northern Wisconsin, Greenfield attended the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. [5] He traveled to six continents throughout his time in university and upon graduation. [4] In 2011, Greenfield relocated to San Diego, California.
In 2013, Greenfield cycled 4,700 miles (7,600 km) across America on a bicycle made of bamboo. [6] On the 104-day ride he used 160 US gallons (610 L) of water, created two pounds (0.9 kg) of trash, traveled via his own power except for one mile (1.6 km) on a ferry into New York City, plugged into five electrical outlets, and never turned on a light switch. [7] About 70 percent of his diet came from dumpsters—he ate more than 280 pounds (130 kg) of food from grocery store dumpsters to bring attention to food waste. [8]
From April 2013 to April 2014, Greenfield spent a year bathing only in natural water sources such as rivers, lakes, waterfalls, and in the rain to raise awareness about consumption, water conservation, and living simply. [9] [10]
Greenfield cycled across the US for the second time in the summer of 2014. He aimed eat solely by dumpster diving at grocery stores and convenience stores [8] to draw attention to and find solutions for food waste. [11] The purpose of the campaign was to get grocery stores to donate the food they would otherwise throw away. [12]
In September 2015, Greenfield embarked on a journey across South America with no money. [13] The trip was filmed by documentarian James Levelle for Discovery Channel. The mini-series was 6 episodes and aired on Discovery Channel in May 2016. [13]
In October 2016, Greenfield spent a month in New York City wearing all the trash he produced during the month on his body by storing the trash in a suit with clear plastic pockets, designed by trashion designer Nancy Judd. [14] [15]
From November 2018 to November 2019, Greenfield lived in Orlando, Florida and ate only food that he could grow and forage. [16] [17] [18] He grew over 100 different foods in gardens and foraged more than 200 foods from the wild, using skills he learned from local teachers. [19]
He travels barefoot, and mostly by bicycle. [20] Greenfield does not use credit cards. [12]
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