Just a few years ago, images of the Atacama Desert, covered by mountains of discarded clothing, they went around the world. From space, satellites they captured a multicolored mosaic in the middle of the arid land of northern Chile: thousands of tons of T-shirts, jeans and coats that had ended up there after crossing oceans and continents.
Today, Chile is in the news again, but for a diametrically opposite reason. The country achieved the Guinness Record of the largest clothing exchange in the world, with more than 2,300 garments in perfect condition exchanged for eight hours at the La Moneda Cultural Center, in Santiago.
A turning point. The event was organized by The Ropantic Showa pioneering start-up in circular fashion founded by María José Gómez Gracia. The initiative not only sought to break a record, but also to denounce the global overproduction of clothing and the environmental consequences of excessive consumption. “We have normalized that clothing is a completely disposable item, that shopping is a form of therapy,” Gómez Gracia explained.
In Chile, each person consumes 32 kilos of textiles per year, generating more than 572,000 tons of waste, according to the Ministry of the Environment. This context makes the record not a simple cultural event, but a collective response to an environmental emergency.
From desert catwalks to ‘re-commerce’. The change began with activism and creativity. In 2024, the NGO Desierto Vestido, together with Fashion Revolution Brasil and the Brazilian agency Artplan, organized the Atacama Fashion Week: a parade in the middle of the desert with models wearing clothes rescued from landfills. According to The Guardianthe pieces—designed by Brazilian artist Maya Ramos—were made with clothing found among the waste, symbolizing the four elements: earth, fire, air and water.
A year later, that alliance gave rise to a revolutionary idea: “Atacama Re-commerce”an online store that gives away clothing rescued from the desert, charging only the cost of shipping. The project—promoted by VTEX, Fashion Revolution Brasil, Artplan and Desierto Vestido— seeks to convert the act of shopping online in a form of environmental activism.
In just five hours, the first collection sold out and more than 200,000 people signed up for future releases. “It’s a simple and powerful way to transform commerce into consciousness,” summarized the creative Pedro Maneschy.
A problem with fast fashion. This phenomenon has generated an environmental and social emergency. The United Nations warns that the textile and footwear industry is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of the planet’s wastewater.
Global clothing production doubled between 2000 and 2014, and consumers they buy 60% more today of garments than two decades ago, keeping them half the time. For years, Chile was the final destination for discards from Europe and the United States. It is estimated that about 39,000 tons of clothing ended up in the illegal landfills of the Atacama each year. “We live five minutes from the garbage dumps and we breathe the smoke from the burned clothes,” denounced Ángela Astudillo, co-founder of Desierto Vestido, to The Guardian.
Now, the country has become a circular economy laboratory. Projects like EcoFiberwhich makes insulating panels from used textiles, or Atacama Re-commercewhich rescues garments to reuse them, show that sustainability can also be an economic opportunity.
From a court ruling to a circular country model. Last September, Chile’s First Environmental Court issued a historic ruling that forces the State to repair the Atacama “clothing desert.” The ruling orders a comprehensive plan to be presented in six months that includes the removal of waste, its safe final disposal and the restoration of the landscape. “The environmental damage is proven and the State must materially repair it,” said Minister Marcelo Hernández Rojas. The ruling, celebrated by organizations such as Desierto Vestido and Greenpeace Chile, sets a regional precedent in terms of environmental responsibility.
In parallel, the Extended Producer Responsibility Law (REP)—which forces companies to take responsibility for the waste they generate— has incorporated textiles as priority products. And universities like Chile are already working on models that professionalize the restoration of garments and generate local employment, according to DW.
Furthermore, the shift is also cultural. More and more young Chileans are opting for responsible consumption. “Massive consumption of clothing is normalized. I made the decision to buy almost everything second-hand or barter,” Antonia Jerez told21 year old student. “Buying new clothes is no longer fashionable, there are too many going around the world,” added Catalina Navarro, 23. This generational change reflects a new relationship with fashion: more conscious, local and circular.
From symbol of excess to emblem of change. For years, the Atacama Desert was the mirror of global consumerism: a landscape where the labels of Zara, H&M or Nike mixed with sand and dust. Today, that same place is transformed into a symbol of environmental and social resilience. “We went around the world for the mountains of clothes in the desert; I hope they recognize us today for the solution,” pointed out María José Gómez Graciafounder of The Ropantic Show.
The challenge is not over. There are still thousands of tons to remove and a global culture to transform. But Chile has shown that fashion can also be a tool of change.
Image | skyfi and The Ropantic Show
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