Policy, waste, and power: textile dumping in Chile’s Atacama desert

Globally, 87% of textile fibers end up incinerated or in landfills, with Chile bearing the brunt of this crisis. Every year, 39,000 tons of discarded clothing are illegally dumped in the Atacama Desert, turning it into a sacrifice zone for the Global North's waste economy. In response, Chile introduced the “National Solid Waste Policy 2018–2030” to regulate textile waste, yet its gaps perpetuate rather than resolve environmental injustice and existing power relations. This research addresses the question, how does the “National Solid Waste Policy 2018–2030“ contribute to the reproduction of existing power relations in the Atacama Desert? Applying Lukes' three‐dimensional power framework, this research argues the policy excludes marginalized communities (first dimension), shields Global North actors from accountability (second dimension), and depoliticizes textile dumping as a technical issue (third dimension). To break this cycle, urgent preventive measures—including Extended Producer Responsibility laws, trade reforms, and the formalization of informal waste workers—must be implemented before 2030. Still, prevention alone is insufficient. This research advances a bold restoration strategy, inspired by ocean cleanup initiatives, to convert textile waste into renewable biofuels.