Robin Greenfield

Robin Greenfield
Greenfield during Trash Me campaign in 2016
Born	(1986-08-28) August 28, 1986 Ashland, Wisconsin, US
Occupation	Environmental activist
Years active	2013–present
Website	robingreenfield.org

Robin Greenfield (born August 28, 1986) is an American environmental activist. He is known for raising awareness for sustainability issues, often through attention-grabbing tactics.

Early life

Greenfield was born and raised in Ashland, Wisconsin, where he and his three siblings were raised by a (non-religious) Jewish single mother. At the age of 18 he became an Eagle Scout.

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. He traveled to six continents throughout his time in university and upon graduation. In 2011, Greenfield relocated to San Diego, California.

Environmental activism

In 2013, Greenfield cycled 4,700 miles (7,600 km) across America on a bicycle made of bamboo. 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. 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.

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.

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 to draw attention to and find solutions for food waste. The purpose of the campaign was to get grocery stores to donate the food they would otherwise throw away.

In September 2015, Greenfield embarked on a journey across South America with no money. 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.

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.

From November 2018 to November 2019, Greenfield lived in Orlando, Florida and ate only food that he could grow and forage. He grew over 100 different foods in gardens and foraged more than 200 foods from the wild, using skills he learned from local teachers.

Personal life

He travels barefoot, and mostly by bicycle. Greenfield does not use credit cards.