What a loss.
A satellite image taken over Chile’s Atacama Desert shows ever-growing mountains of discarded clothes because the fast fashion problem persists.
Photo shared last month by SkyFi satellite photo and video apphighlights the result of the roughly 59,000 tons of used and unsold clothing that arrive on the Chilean port of Iquique annually from the US, Europe and Asia.
Anything that can’t be resold in South America goes to a desert landfill to slowly decompose.
Many of this stuff can take as much as 200 years to biodegrade as most are made of synthetic fabrics or treated with chemicals.
![The mountain of fast fashion in the Chilean desert can be seen from space](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/NYPICHPDPICT000012971826.jpg?w=1024)
Textiles pollute nearby water sources and soil with toxic chemicals, causing health concerns.
It’s estimated that around 39,000 tons of unwanted clothes find yourself in the heap annually.
SkyFi said it got the image for $44.
“The satellite image we commissioned of a pile of clothes in Chile’s Atacama Desert really puts the situation in a unique perspective,” SkyFi’s blog post reads.
“The dimensions of the pile and the pollution it causes are visible from space, making it clear that change is required in the fashion industry.”
![A mountain of unused clothes in Chile can already be seen from space](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/NYPICHPDPICT000012971824.jpg?w=1024)
SkyFi reported that it was in a position to pinpoint the coordinates of the stacks with the assistance of members Discord channel and quickly access an existing image.
The Post contacted SkyFi for comment.
![A mountain of unused clothes in Chile can already be seen from space](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/NYPICHPDPICT000012971949.jpg?w=1024)
![A mountain of unused clothes in Chile can already be seen from space](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/NYPICHPDPICT000012971825.jpg?w=1024)
Similar images of mountain dumps overflowing with clothing items near Nairobi made headlines earlier this yr.
On the time, investigators estimated that 300 million “damaged or unmarketable garments” made of synthetic materials find yourself in Kenya’s landfills or are incinerated.
The United Nations found in 2018 that the fashion industry is responsible for 2 to eight% of global carbon dioxide emissions.
Fast fashion market estimated at over $106 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to achieve $185 billion in 2027.