Rob Greenfield is a self-described adventurer and environmentalist, and if you happen to spot him on the streets of New York, he may also introduce himself as the Trash Man. The 30-year-old activist does all of the things most New Yorkers do — shopping, dining, riding public transportation — but instead of throwing his trash away, Greenfield will make it part of his outfit, carrying around all the trash he generates in a transparent suit made from expandable pockets. In an experiment possibly inspired by Morgan Spurlock, Greenfield hopes people will work harder to reduce their consumption once they’ve seen firsthand what a month’s worth of garbage can look like.
Greenfield is in the midst of a 30-day experiment that most people would never consider taking on. As he goes about his day, consuming and creating refuse, he wears his trash instead of throwing it away. The activist is turning himself into a walking, talking landfill to raise awareness of the importance of reducing consumption in order to save the environment, rather than assuming recycling is the only answer. The average American generates 4.5 lbs of garbage each day, and Greenfield is adding each day’s waste to his custom-made trash bag suit.
Related: MTA finds removing trash cans from subway stations ironically reduces garbage
Over the course of a month, the average person creates 135 lbs of garbage. Greenfield’s experiment will last the same duration and he’ll collect every piece of trash he generates. His experiment is the centerpiece of an upcoming film series, “Trash Me,” backed by BBTV and Outspeak. The series aims to inspire people to take responsibility for their trash, and think more about what happens to items once they are pitched in the garbage can.
Greenfield is aiming to collect around 100 lbs of garbage by Day 30, which he’s on target to get close to, according to his blog updates. Hopefully, he isn’t packing around weeks of organic garbage, which anyone can guess would have quite an odor after a couple of weeks. Besides, it’d be difficult to talk with people about your trash-reducing initiative if you smell like a stinky dumpster.
Via NY Post
Images via Rob Greenfield
