The Atacama desert becomes the great dumping ground for 'low cost' clothing brands

The Atacama desert is one of those places on the planet where a person can imagine many things. Kilometers of sand, salt lakes, living beings of singular resistance... but surely what few imagine are piles of abandoned clothes. According to data compiled by the AFP news agency, the immense area accumulates more than 39,000 tons of textile waste, although calling it that may not be entirely accurate. Many of the garments still carry the label, proof that they have not been released.

According to data from the same sources, the huge pile of clothing is made up of garments made in China and Bangladesh that reach stores in the US, Europe and Asia under the 'low cost' brand seal. Here, since they are not sold, they are sent to Chile, which, unable to dispose of all that arrives, accumulates it in its ports or ends up in illegal dumps, such as Atacama. The garments can take up to 200 years to disintegrate.

@Adrian_Jacobo @jelzow @Blender I should look at that. I would like to remove Meshlab from my workflow and do all t… https://t.co/lcYcCdj4Sf

— Damian Dalle Nogare Thu Jul 22 13:51:31 +0000 2021

Textiles are the second most polluting industry on the planet after power generation with fossil fuels. In fact, clothing manufacturing is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. In addition, the use of stains and finishing products is to blame for 20% of the contamination of the world's drinking water.

The towering piles of clothing left behind in the Chilean desert literally fry in the sun. And that generates polluting gases. It also seeps into the subsoil and can contaminate the scarce water resources in the area. Residents in nearby towns speak of the arrival of "hundreds of trucks" that come at any time of the day, drop their clothes and leave. And there are many who go there in search of outfits for the day to day or to resell them in local markets. A transfer of vehicles and people that do not do good to an environment inhabited by countless species of plants, animals and microorganisms that have evolved to survive in this extreme enclave.

And the problem is growing. Many of the textile surpluses that were left unsold by the pandemic are now arriving in Chile. According to consumer and environmental organizations, the solution involves a change in consumption habits and recycling, a practice that is still scarce in the sector. In Spain, for example, only 12% of the almost million tons of textiles that are discarded each year are recycled, although perhaps 2022 marks a change in this trend. As of this month of January, companies in the sector will be obliged to destroy excess fabrics and manage textile waste. Atacama and its peculiar and unique ecosystem will thank you.