Chilean city sets world record for largest clothing swap amid textile waste crisis: Video
The Chilean capital of Santiago has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest clothing swap event after over 2,000 garments were exchanged in an eight-hour event held Saturday at the La Moneda Cultural Centre.
Participants who showed up at the event were seen trying on and swapping clothes. After the event, there was the presentation of a Guinness World Record certificate to event organiser Maria Gomez, founder of the Ropantic Show.
“This initiative is about more than just swapping clothes,” Gomez told Viory. “We have the Atacama Desert clothed, not in bloom. This is a call to action against textile waste, which pollutes our environment. Through exchange, repair, and transformation, we’re creating new ways to connect, physically and emotionally,” she added.
Gomez referred to the alarming situation in the Atacama Desert, where an estimated 30,000 tonnes of discarded clothing and textile waste accumulate, a byproduct of the global fast fashion industry.
Guinness World Records adjudicator Natalia Ramirez praised the initiative, describing it as having “an extremely important social impact.”
“The organisers highlighted the issue of overconsumption and promoted circular fashion to extend the life of garments, an idea that resonates globally, not just in Chile,” Ramirez noted.
According to government data, Chileans consume an average of 32 kilograms of textiles per person annually, contributing to more than 572,000 tonnes of textile waste each year.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
