Message in a trash suit

Beverly Hills – We all know someone with a rubbish fashion sense, but Rob Greenfield is proud to be wearing garbage – it’s all part of a plan to show just how much trash we unthinkingly throw away every month.

He is wandering the streets of Los Angeles and surrounding cities in a specially designed suit that holds all of the junk he has produced over recent weeks.

“Trash is out of sight, out of mind,” he said on the swanky shopping streets of Beverly Hills. “I wanted to create a visual that helps people to really see how much our trash adds up.”

With just a few days left to go in his challenge, Greenfield is wearing about 28kg of rubbish generated from the drinks, snacks and meals he has consumed. All of it is packed in his clear plastic suit, with specially constructed 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. “It was about day 12 that I started to really feel the burden of consumerism,” he said, noting that the average person in the US creates around 2.2kg of waste per day.

“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 lives a minimalist life with only a handful of possessions, no bank account and no driving licence, is no stranger to stunts aimed at raising awareness of environmental issues.

In 2019, he fed himself for a whole year on food he grew himself. But for the purpose of the trash suit, he put aside the asceticism and consumed like the average American for 30 days.

The sight of a man wearing garbage in upmarket parts of one of America’s most consumerist cities raises some eyebrows, but, he said, most people are interested in learning more.

“People can understand this message and it helps me to really reach people from all walks of life.”