30 Days of Trash

Words and photos by TIFFANY PAIGE

He’s e’s been called the “Robin Hood of Modern Times,” the “Forest Gump of Ecology,” and the “Trash Man Who Protects the Planet.” Have you heard of him? Rob Greenfield is a man on a mission for food freedom, zero-waste activism, and building community by living simply and sustainably (and sometimes, o the grid!). He’s known for his extreme projects to get people’s attention and make them think — to bring awareness, and more so, inspire them to want to take action.

Living in North Carolina, Rob came to California for his latest project: to wear all the trash he created for 30 days. From April 20 (Earth Day) until May 20, Rob would act as the “average” person: eating, shopping, and consuming. The only difference is, instead of throwing everything away (where is “away,” anyway?), he had to wear it in a custom suit he built specifically for the purpose of carrying and displaying the trash he generated. Every time he went out, he had to wear the trash suit. Grocery stores, restaurants, errands, and of course, meet-and-greet and speaking engagements. Each day the suit became larger and heavier.

The average American produces 4.5 to 4.9 pounds of trash per day, totaling 135 to 147 pounds in a month.

In his everyday life, Rob pretty much leads a zero-waste lifestyle, so in order for this to work he had to change his ways. At the end of 30 days, his trash weighed in at 72 pounds. That’s 2.4 pounds a day — only half of what the average consumer generates, yet the visual is still so powerful. To see all this waste in one place, from one individual, on their person, is a billboard for what we could be doing better. Yes, recycling is a great “last best” effort, but 90% of recyclables don’t actually get recycled. Even if we recycled everything we could, we create way more waste than can be used. Plus, it’s costly (many times it’s easier and more cost efficient for companies to use virgin materials), can lead to contamination issues, and is not easily available everywhere. So how can we use less, care more, and all work together?

One answer was recently instituted in Ojai, which put in place a new food waste recycling program that went into effect January 1. This program aims to reduce the amount of organic material sent to the landfill, which reduces emissions. Residents add food waste to the yard waste container, and at the recycling center, food waste is separated and composted into soil products and renewable energy.

As part of Rob’s trash travels, he made his way up the California coast, including a visit to Ojai. He visited the Farmer’s Market and downtown Ojai, and talked to many passersby who were fascinated by what they were seeing. A walking, talking art installation, Rob notes that it makes you pause to think…“Is that how much trash I’m creating? I want this to serve as a mirror for others to be able to self-reflect on their own way of interacting with the Earth.”

Rob continued with talks and appearances even after May 20. By then the suit was even more impactful visually. “Even I myself, every day, am astounded by the amount of trash I’m wearing,” he said. He culminated his journey in L.A., speaking at a TEDxUCLA talk; which was released publicly in July. “I wore all my trash for 30 days”

www.youtu.be/Xay1YKpu6Nk

Thanks for stopping through Ojai, Rob, and thank you for your tireless work.

To learn more about Rob, you can visit his website: www.robgreenfield.org

•Carry reusable bags for produce, shop- ping, and groceries.

•Bring your own co ee cup to be fi lled, or at least forgo the lid and sleeve. •Order an ice cream cone instead of a cup.

•Buy from bulk bins for food when you can. •Find package-free shops. •Carry your own utensils and to-go ware.

•Visit your farmer’s market and bring your own bags or basket — and don’t forget about produce bags, too.

•Compost as much as you can.

•Try the “Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refuse then Recycle” way.

•Single-use plastic is the most ubiquitous type of packaging trash. Using as little of the following as possible will have a huge impact: water bottles, plastic bags, plastic straws, plastic utensils, plastic to-go containers.

•Use Ojai’s new food waste recycling program.* *If you have a yard-waste cart, place food waste in a tied bag and add it to the yard-waste cart. All food waste—including meat, bones, fi sh, shells, dairy, bread, fruits, vegetables, peels, pits, cobs, and coffee grounds—must be placed in a bag, tied off, and added to the yard waste container. Once at the recycling facility, food waste will be separated from yard waste and composted into soil products and renewable energy.

Guest editor Tiffany Paige of Green With Ti any is a podcast host and journalist with a devoted love of Ojai since she was a young girl. Ti any has been committed to promoting sustainability for over a decade. Green With Tiffany was created as an empowering, mindful, and heartful resource about living each day more consciously, caringly, and sustainably.

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