Massive Toxic Clothing Dump in Atacama Desert Now Shockingly Visible from Space

Huge piles of unsold clothing in Chile’s Atacama Desert were visible from space, as confirmed by a Texas-based satellite imagery company.

[{"selector":"#anim-1be57e5d-b9ef-4086-b976-0771e1d237d0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

SkyFi's mission is to make Earth observation data easily accessible, and the need for change in the fashion industry is highlighted by their image of the clothing pile from space.

[{"selector":"#anim-7eb9d665-e0e8-485f-8555-10e7a01671cb [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.26171863629683%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

Satellites can see the pile of unused fast-fashion clothing in the Atacama Desert as it continues to grow.

[{"selector":"#anim-e9233510-1814-4ccd-a529-dcd224dc8fb4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

When these clothes, manufactured in Bangladesh and China, remained unsold in retail stores across the US, Europe, and Asia, they were sent to Chile.

[{"selector":"#anim-976d59c1-5cff-47cf-bd72-888faa42c963 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.26831043321183%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

A significant pollution problem is posed by the approximately 39,000 tons of these clothes accumulated in landfills in the Atacama Desert.

[{"selector":"#anim-d70502b0-c65d-4d02-882d-b45eddc05dca [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(28.90624987200394%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

The size of the clothing pile compared to the nearby city of Alto Hospicio, as shown by SkyFi’s high-resolution satellite photo, makes it evident that a change is necessary.

[{"selector":"#anim-4c71bbab-2c29-4730-9681-65b0445b4796 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.17499990397451%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

Owing to their non-biodegradable nature and chemical content, the discarded clothes cannot be sent to municipal landfills.

[{"selector":"#anim-1ecb9893-1022-4b8e-912a-d7c0771673fc [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

Migrants and local women search for items to wear or sell when the clothes are left near Chile’s Iquique port, close to disadvantaged neighborhoods.

[{"selector":"#anim-5e3e90e6-ca40-4c91-9aec-fb154f43f106 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(32.94372548244069%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}]

Immediate attention is demanded by the growing pile of discarded clothes, and it requires immediate attention towards the environmental impact of fast fashion.

[{"selector":"#anim-c30c1783-50a7-4123-9318-cd5a3bfd5e2a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(9.394531134803549%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.14,.34,.47,.9)","fill":"forwards"}] All Image: Google.com