When you look at the picture below, it may just seem like a garbage dump. However, this is not an ordinary dump. It is a corner of the Atacama Desert, dubbed the “clothing dump of the world”.
A woman “shopping” for old clothes from the “huge dump” in Atacama. (Photo: Insider).
For many years, the “fast fashion” industry has generated enormous profits for major fashion corporations. True to its name, this industry provides consumers with the latest trendy outfits at a significantly lower price than high-end fashion.
The hallmark of this fashion type is its “copy and paste” items—borrowing ideas from original products while lacking uniqueness. Popular fast fashion brands include Zara, H&M, and Uniqlo. Naturally, low prices come with corresponding quality. These low-cost fashion items are quickly discarded, eventually ending up in “clothing dumps” like the Atacama Desert.
The Atacama Desert submerged in a sea of discarded clothing when viewed from above. (Photo: Insider).
However, the images coming from the Atacama Desert are hard to ignore and highlight how the country is increasingly suffering from pollution caused by fast fashion. Chile has long been a hub for unusable or unsold clothing produced in China or Bangladesh and shipped through Europe, Asia, or the United States before arriving here, where they are resold throughout Latin America.
The Dark Side of the Fast Fashion Industry
Every year, approximately 39,000 tons of clothing are discarded in this desert. To put it in perspective, this is roughly equivalent to the weight of 27,000 mid-sized cars, but in the form of fabric.
According to a report from the French Press Agency, Chile receives about 59,000 tons of clothing each year. Most of it comes from textile powerhouses like China and Bangladesh, then is transferred through European and North American markets before reaching South America.
The majority of the clothing that arrives in Chile is second-hand or unsold merchandise, produced in China or Bangladesh and shipped through Europe, Asia, or the United States before landing at the port of Iquique for cleaning, where it is resold throughout Latin America. Some will be redistributed and sold again in Chile, but most end up in the “dump” and remain there permanently, as no government is willing to pay taxes to bring them back to their home countries.
Globally, the fashion industry generates up to 92 million tons of textile waste each year, with the United States alone accounting for 17 million tons of discarded fabric and clothing.
Batches of clothing transported through multiple countries before arriving in Chile. (Photo: Bullfrag).
Significant Environmental and Life Impacts
The problem is that, according to United Nations statistics, the raw materials used to produce clothing are increasingly scarce. For instance, producing a pair of jeans requires over 7,000 liters of water. The footwear industry currently contributes about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions each year.
Dump sites like those in the Atacama Desert can lead to disasters for living organisms, causing environmental and water pollution. Notably, a 2019 United Nations report indicated that wastewater from the fashion industry has not shown a declining trend over recent decades, primarily due to fast fashion, which accounts for up to 20% of total global wastewater.
Clothing, whether synthetic or chemically treated, can take 200 years to decompose and contains many toxic chemicals comparable to discarded tires or plastic materials. “Clothing is not something suitable to be carelessly thrown into nature,” said Franklin Zepeda, founder of EcoFibra, which converts old clothes into insulation panels.
However, not everything is wasted: some people living near these dumps “snoop” around the mountains of old clothes to wear or sell. While the rest simply remains at the dump, life continues to improve each year, leading to the phenomenon of “consumerism.”
Fast fashion is causing negative impacts on life worldwide. (Photo: Bullfrag).
