Since he launched his awareness campaign, Rob Greenfield has been wandering the luxurious streets of Beverly Hills, wearing around 30 kg of trash packed in his clear plastic suit.
"For most of us, trash is out of sight, out of mind. We throw it in the garbage can and it goes away, and we never think about it again. I wanted to create a visual that helps people to really see how much our trash adds up," he told AFP.
As a challenge, Greenfield decided to wear all the trash he produced over one month, and wander the streets of Los Angeles, to raise awareness among the people he meets.
With just a few days left to go in his challenge, Greenfield is wearing around 28 kilograms of packaging rubbish. All of it is packed in pockets on the arms, legs and back.
The legs are already bulging with cans that clatter and restrict his ability to walk, adding to the overall impression of a robot made of junk.
“The average person in the US creates around 2kg of waste per day, so the suit was designed to handle heavy weight,” he said. “It was about day 12 that I started to really feel the burden of consumerism. I really started to feel the weight and see the visual and just say 'wow, it’s astounding how much our trash really adds up.”
Greenfield, who prides himself on living a minimalist life with only 44 goods per day, calls people to live a simple life, and shares online advice on consumption and waste reduction.
With his suit and smile, the campaigner has managed to lure passersby and share the values he’s promoting with them.
"People can understand this message and it helps me to really reach people from all walks of life,” he said.
“There are some people who think I’m someone who’s experiencing homelessness or that I have a mental health issue, but for the most part, people have just been very positive,” he concluded.
