Fast fashion has turned the Atacama Desert into a highly polluting “clothing graveyard.”
Low-quality clothing discarded in the global north ends up in Chile, where it is not resold and is illegally incinerated, causing serious environmental and health damage.
Chile imports tons of used clothing from Europe, Asia, and the United States in order to give it a second life. However, the excess of poor-quality garments and the lack of infrastructure to recycle them have turned these imports into difficult-to-eliminate waste.
## Textile Sector Circular Economy Strategy
Chile’s Ministry of the Environment recognizes the problem and has published a Textile Sector Circular Economy Strategy.
The objective is to promote the lifespan of clothing and prevent the generation of textile waste to protect health and the environment.
## Problem Documentation
Bastian Barria, co-founder of Desierto Vestido, has documented the existence of dozens of clothing landfills in the Atacama Desert. The incineration of textiles made with non-biodegradable synthetic fibers implies potential harm to the environment and health.
A report from the United Nations Economic Commissions for Europe and for Latin America and the Caribbean confirms that the excess of used clothing imports in Chile is leading to a serious textile waste management problem.
In 2022, Chile imported 124,000 tons of second-hand clothing, many of which end up in landfills in the Atacama Desert.
## Colonialist Waste Practice
Matías Roa, from Basura Cero Chile, describes this flow of clothing as a colonialist waste practice. The fast fashion industry has increased the material flow, leading to a rise in textile waste in landfills.
The second-hand clothing market significantly contributes to the Gross Domestic Product of countries and reduces the environmental footprint of clothing production. However, fast fashion threatens this market by producing low-quality garments that cannot be reused and become waste.
In the last three decades, the global second-hand clothing market has grown sevenfold.
## Fast Fashion Impact
Fast fashion has increased the flow of low-quality clothing, which often cannot be resold and ends up in landfills. In Chile, burning textiles in the desert releases harmful gases and microplastics into the environment.
The Atacama Desert has become a clothing dump.
Polyester, commonly used in fast fashion clothing, is difficult to eliminate and contributes to pollution. The Basel Convention regulates the transboundary movement of hazardous waste, but polyester clothing often escapes these regulations.
## Recommendations and Solutions
To address these issues, it is essential to consider polyester clothing as hazardous waste and regulate its international trade. Additionally, it is crucial to invest in infrastructure for textile waste management and promote sustainable consumption practices.
As long as there is no decrease in fast fashion consumption, flows of second-hand clothing will continue to increase.
## Need to Regulate Plastic Use
According to Roa, it is crucial to regulate the use of plastics and synthetic fibers in clothing production. We need clothing made from recyclable and less harmful materials for the environment, such as cotton and hemp.
The solution is clear: we must stop acquiring clothing that we do not need, whether new or used, to avoid these environmental and health problems.
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