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Chile's Desert: A Mountain of Fast Fashion Waste
28 Jul
Summary
- Tens of thousands of tonnes of clothing now litter Chile's Atacama Desert.
- Garments arrive via international second-hand trade, with much unsold.
- Textile waste poses environmental risks, including synthetic material pollution.
In Chile's Atacama Desert, a vast quantity of discarded clothing has formed an enormous waste site. Tens of thousands of tonnes of unwanted garments, many still new, have accumulated due to the international second-hand clothing trade.
Annually, over 60,000 tonnes of used clothing enter Chile, primarily through the port of Iquique. While much is resold across Latin America, unsold items become problematic. Exporting or disposing of this waste is costly, leading to illegal dumping in the desert.
These textile piles, visible even from satellite imagery, contain synthetic materials that persist for decades. Illegal burning also releases hazardous compounds, impacting local communities and the environment.
Chile is implementing extended producer responsibility frameworks to shift waste management burdens to businesses. However, addressing the existing accumulated waste remains a monumental challenge, reflecting the global scale of fast fashion's environmental impact.
