Currently, life in the Atacama Desert is threatened by mountains of trash dumped here from all over the world.
The Atacama Desert is one of the driest regions on Earth. It seems that nothing can survive here, but in reality, this desert has a unique and fragile ecosystem.
Chilean environmental activist Paulin Silva is navigating through piles of clothes, shoes, tires, and even old vehicles… that cover the vast Atacama Desert in northern Chile.
Paulin Silva states: “These are mountains of clothing, buried in the ground.”
According to the mayor of Alto Hospicio, located in this desert, it has become “the backyard of the whole world.”
Mr. Patricio Ferreira, the mayor of Alto Hospicio, expressed: “We feel abandoned. We feel our land is being sacrificed. But I affirm that unethical individuals have dumped trash here… No one seems to realize that this issue needs to be addressed.”
Giant trash mountain in the Atacama Desert. (Photo: The Independent)
Chile has long been a dumping ground for old or unsold items from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. These items are either resold throughout Latin America or discarded in the Atacama Desert.
The fast fashion industry caters to the incessant demand for new clothing. In 2021 alone, over 46,000 tons of used clothing were dumped in Chile. Containing harmful chemicals and taking 200 years to decompose, these garments pollute the soil, air, and groundwater in the region.
Local resident Mr. Carlos Cornejo lamented: “Being poor means having to live with this pollution.”
