What Happens to Our Old Clothes?

    The Atacama Desert in northern Chile doesn’t get much water. It’s one of the driest places on Earth. Each year, it rains about half an inch. 

    But the Atacama does get a lot of something else: unwanted clothes.

    Mountains of jeans and sneakers lie under the strong desert sun. Bathing suits and hoodies are piled high. This desert clothing dump is nearly as wide as 580 football fields—and counting. 

    How did it all get there?

    The Atacama Desert in Chile doesn’t get much water. It’s one of the driest places on Earth. Each year, it rains about half an inch there. 

    But this desert does get a lot of something else: unwanted clothes.

    Mountains of jeans and sneakers lie in the sun. Swimsuits and hoodies are piled high. This clothing dump is nearly as wide as 580 football fields—and counting. 

    How did it all get there?

    The Atacama Desert in northern Chile doesn’t get much water. It’s one of the driest places on Earth, with about half an inch of rain per year. 

    But the Atacama does get a lot of something else: unwanted clothing.

    Mountains of jeans and sneakers lie under the powerful desert sun. Bathing suits and hoodies are piled high. This desert clothing dump is nearly as wide as 580 football fields—and counting. 

    How did it all get there?

    Most of the garments in the Atacama Desert are fast fashion. This term describes clothes that are trendy and cheap to buy. 

    Shein and H&M are examples of large fast-fashion companies. They make items quickly and cheaply. This allows them to add new styles to stores and websites every day. 

    In this way, fast fashion has made it easier than ever for people to buy the latest looks. But it’s also creating a huge problem. 

    Americans now buy five times more clothing than they did 30 years ago. At the same time, we only wear these pieces for half as long. The average person tosses out 76 pounds of clothing a year. 

    Fast-fashion companies don’t sell everything they make either. Items may end up damaged or go out of style. 

    So what happens to all these unwanted clothes? Some end up in landfills. Others are packed up and sent to countries like Chile. 

    In Chile, clothes are sorted, and some are sold in local markets. Anything not sold is shipped out to the desert. 

    Most of the garments in the Atacama Desert are fast fashion. This term describes clothes that are trendy and cheap to buy. 

    Shein and H&M are examples of large fast-fashion companies. They make items quickly and cheaply. They can add new styles to stores and websites every day. 

    Fast fashion has made it easy for people to buy the latest looks. But it’s also creating a problem. 

    Americans now buy five times more clothing than they did 30 years ago. And we only wear these pieces for half as long. The average person tosses out 76 pounds of clothing a year. 

    Fast-fashion companies don’t sell every piece of clothing they make either. Some items end up damaged. Some go out of style. 

    What happens to all these unwanted clothes? Some end up in landfills. Others are sent to countries like Chile. 

    In Chile, clothes are sorted. Some are sold in local markets. The rest is shipped out to the desert. 

    Most of the garments in the Atacama Desert are fast fashion. This term describes clothes that are trendy and cheap to buy. 

    Shein and H&M are examples of large fast-fashion companies. They make items quickly and cheaply, which allows them to add new styles to stores and websites every day. 

    In this way, fast fashion has made it easier than ever for people to buy the latest looks—but it’s also creating a major problem. 

    Americans now buy five times more clothing than they did 30 years ago. At the same time, we only wear these pieces for half as long. The average person tosses out 76 pounds of clothing a year. 

    Fast-fashion companies don’t sell everything they make either. Items may end up damaged or go out of style. 

    So what happens to all these unwanted clothes? Some end up in landfills. Others are packed up and sent to countries like Chile. 

    In Chile, clothes are sorted, and some are sold in local markets. Anything not sold is shipped out to the desert. 

    People in Chile have been looking for ways to use all these old clothes. One company turns the garments into insulation pads to keep homes warm. Another company makes recycled yarn. 

    But some people say these solutions aren’t enough. Many clothing factories pollute the environment. And some garments can take hundreds of years to break down in landfills. Instead of finding new uses for tossed-out clothes, experts say fewer clothes need to be made in the first place.

    One way to help is to shop less. Before buying something, ask yourself: Do I really need this? 

    You can also look for creative ways to fill your closet. Swap clothes with friends. Check out thrift stores. It could help save the planet—and save you money too. 

    People in Chile try to find ways to use all these old clothes. One company makes insulation pads to keep homes warm. Another makes recycled yarn. 

    But some people say these solutions are not enough. Many clothing factories pollute the environment. And some garments can take hundreds of years to break down in landfills. Experts say too much clothing is being made. It’s time to cut back.

    How can you help? Shop less. Before buying something, ask yourself: Do I really need this? 

    You can also find new ways to fill your closet. Swap clothes with friends. Check out thrift stores. Your actions could help save the planet. And they might save you some money too. 

    People in Chile have been looking for ways to use all these old clothes. One company turns the garments into insulation pads to keep homes warm. Another company makes recycled yarn. 

    But some people say these solutions aren’t enough. Many clothing factories pollute the environment, and some garments can take hundreds of years to break down in landfills. Instead of finding new uses for tossed-out clothes, experts say fewer clothes need to be made in the first place.

    One way to help is to shop less. Before purchasing something, ask yourself: Do I really need this? 

    You can also fill your closet in more creative ways, such as swapping clothes with friends and exploring thrift stores. It could help save the planet—and save you money too.