Kathmandu. Chile is a Latin American country famous worldwide for minerals. Chile has large reserves of copper and lithium. Chile accounts for 24% of the world’s copper.
Copper is found in the Atacama desert. It is also known worldwide for its ‘mountain of cloth’. This mountain of cloth has become so big that it is also visible from space.
Waste of old clothes from all over the world ends up in the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on earth. So far, 60,000 tons of garbage has reached there.
Clothing trends around the world are changing rapidly. As a result, textile waste is increasing all over the world. Many Chinese companies are selling clothes at very low prices. Which is exacerbating the crisis.
The waste is now reaching the town of Alto Hospicio in northern Chile. Which is changing the landscape of the entire desert. Most of this fabric is being exported through the international second-hand trade. The clothes either couldn’t be sold or were thrown away.
Now the clothes are reaching the Ataca Desert, and the mountain of fabric here is growing in size every year. Overproduction and overconsumption of textiles have also created an environmental crisis.
The mountain of 60,000 tons of clothing in Atacama includes jackets, shoes, children’s clothing and clothing that has lost their tags. Now a purported satellite image of this mountain of cloth has surfaced, revealing the extent of this huge crisis.
How is the cloth going to the Atacama desert?
Chile is now the world’s largest entry point for used clothing. Every year, 60,000 tons of second-hand cloth arrive in Chile via Chile’s northern port of Iquique. It comes from Europe, the US, Canada and many Asian countries. The city’s free trade zone imports goods from all over the world. Traders inspect the garments and sell them in countries where there is a demand for second-hand clothes. This whole process employs thousands of people in Chile and provides buyers ready to use.
According to experts, problems arise when clothes cannot be sold. In addition, low-quality materials and old clothes add to the problem. Instead of proper disposal of these clothes, they are sent to the Atacama Desert. As a result, the mountain of clothing in Atacama is growing in size every year.
Now there is a large stock of used clothing around Alto Hospicio. Satellite images reveal the extent of this crisis. Environmentalists have warned Chile and countries around the world about this.
What will happen to the mountain of cloth in the desert?
According to experts, most of these fabrics are not made from natural fibres such as cotton or wool. Modern textiles are made from polyester and other synthetic materials derived from petroleum. When they grow like this, they can stay in the environment for decades. The wind can spread the garment across the desert. When exposed to sunlight, they break down into smaller particles.
Burning those clothes can be a different problem. This can produce toxic fumes. Which can be harmful to local residents. The Atacama Desert receives very little rainfall. This ensures that the clothes stay there for a long time. –Agency
