Robin Greenfield

Robin Greenfield
Greenfield in 2026
Born
Robin Greenfield

(1986-08-28) August 28, 1986 (age 40)
Ashland, Wisconsin, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Wisconsin–La Crosse (BS)
OccupationEnvironmental activist
Years active2013–present
Websiterobingreenfield.org

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

Early life and education

Greenfield was born and raised in Ashland, Wisconsin. His mother, who raised him and his three siblings alone, was a non-practicing Jew who was part of the Hare Krishna movement. At the age of 18, he became an Eagle Scout.

After graduating from Ashland High School, 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.

Career

In 2011, Greenfield relocated to San Diego, California, where he founded a successful advertising business.

Greenfield originally aspired to be a millionaire by age 30 before the anti-consumerist film The Story of Stuff inspired him to pursue a minimalist lifestyle.

Environmental activism

Greenfield during Trash Me campaign in 2016

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 six episodes and aired on 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.

Greenfield released a self-titled short documentary film, Greenfield, in 2026. The film culminates in a coastal walk from the Canadian border to Los Angeles' Griffith Park to begin a 90-day experiment in non-ownership, living on borrowed items from followers and foraged food from his surroundings.

Personal life

Greenfield travels barefoot and wears homemade clothing. Greenfield has referred to Rosenberg's Nonviolent Communication as his "Bible". Greenfield does not use credit cards or government-issued ID.

Greenfield dated Cheryl Davies, a student of Traditional Asian medicine. They split due to the demands of his lifestyle and her family's resistance to his "uncompromising nature."

Greenfield has stated that he believes he has autism, but he has not been diagnosed.

Books

References

  1. ↑ "Environmental activist Rob Greenfield goes off the power grid on cross-country bike trek to promote sustainability". The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  2. ↑ "Rob Greenfield Dumpster Dives to Save the World from Food Waste Fiasco". Weather.com. 14 October 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Bike-Riding Do-Gooder Planting Flowers and Picking Up Trash One City at a Time". Yahoo! Shine. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  4. ↑ Greenfield, Robin (29 November 2023). "My Name Is Robin". www.robingreenfield.org. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Howard, Hilary; Parra, Lexi (2 November 2026). "Robin Greenfield Wants to Be One With Nature. But He Can't Quit Instagram". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
  6. 1 2 "Eagle Scout's ride across America can inspire your Scouts to stay the course". Scouting Magazine. 3 October 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Off-Grid Cross-country Cycle". Mountain Life Annual. Archived from the original on 31 August 2013. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  8. ↑ Greenfield, Rob (16 August 2013). "Cycling across America: lessons in sustainability and happiness". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 December 2013.
  9. 1 2 "All of environmentalist Rob Greenfield's meals come from trash receptacles behind grocery and convenience stores". TakePart. TakePart. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  10. ↑ Zarrell, Rachel (30 April 2014). "Meet The Guy Who Just Went A Year Without Showering (And Isn't Stopping)". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  11. ↑ "Lessons Learned From a Year Without Showering". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  12. ↑ Markham, Derek (1 September 2014). "Activist fuels his bike tour with dumpster food to call attention to Food Waste Fiascos". TreeHugger. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  13. 1 2 Semuels, Alana (15 October 2014). "Activist dives in dumpsters across the U.S. to highlight food waste". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  14. 1 2 "Free Ride". IMDb. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  15. ↑ Bowerman, Mary (30 September 2016). "Man pledges to wear all the trash he produces for 1 month". USA Today. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  16. ↑ Schmitt, Kristen A. (14 October 2016). "Meet an environmental activist and an artist who share a passion for 'trashion': One man's trash suit is another woman's work of art". Smithsonian. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  17. ↑ Santich, Kate (8 November 2019). "Orlando's Rob Greenfield survives year of growing, foraging all of his own food". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  18. ↑ Peters, Xander (3 April 2019). "Life according to the Orlando activist who's growing or foraging everything he eats for a year". Orlando Weekly. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  19. ↑ Schmitt, Kristen A. (15 March 2019). "This man will eat only what he can grow or forage—here's why". National Geographic. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  20. ↑ Greenfield, Rob (19 December 2019). "I didn't buy any food for a year—and I'm healthier than I've ever been". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  21. ↑ Greenfield, Robin (26 March 2026). "Greenfield Film". Robin Greenfield. Retrieved 28 March 2026.
  22. ↑ Wisely, John (31 August 2014). "Dumpster dining: Environmentalist fights food waste". USA Today. Retrieved 21 December 2014.