A closer look
Thilafushi is a completely artificial island in the Maldives constructed entirely out of toxic garbage and municipal waste generated by the luxury resorts that promise you an untouched tropical paradise, because a nation made up of tiny coral atolls has nowhere to put the massive amount of plastic bottles and food waste produced by wealthy honeymooners, so they literally dumped it all into a shallow lagoon until it formed a new landmass; hundreds of migrant workers live on this toxic trash island, managing fires that burn round the clock and spew dark smoke into the otherwise pristine Indian Ocean sky, providing a harsh reality check that your five-thousand-dollar overwater bungalow experience relies entirely on an apocalyptic garbage dump located just a few miles over the horizon, completely hidden from your Instagram feed
