Robin Greenfield

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 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. He traveled to six continents throughout his time in university and upon graduation. On the 104-day ride he used of water, created of trash, traveled via his own power except for 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 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 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.

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 ID.

Books