Vicunha joins traceability project SouABR
12/05/2022
A leading textile manufacturer in Brazil, Vicunha was founded in 1967 by the Steinbruch family, who established its denim plant in the northeast of the country, a region that suffers from severe water shortage. This has led the company to invest in technologies that enable the re-use of water and thus minimise its use of fresh water.
Materials’ circularity is another key focus of the company. “On a yearly basis, we recover and recycle 7,000 tonnes of cotton. This equals one month of cotton consumption per year,” said German Alejandro, Vicunha’s head of marketing.
In its quest to guarantee traceability and transparency in its sourcing and manufacturing practices, Vicunha is the first textile company to participate in a project known as SouABR, or “I am ABR” in Brazilian, in reference to ABR which stands for Responsible Brazilian Cotton.
ABR is supports sustainable management of farms and evolution towards better social, environmental and economic practices. ABR certification is based on compliance with 178 criteria, ranging from workers’ health, safety, and well-being, to the protection of springs and the preservation of biomes and of soil. Most of the cotton used in Vicunha's production line is ABR certified.
SouABR takes this certification programme one step further with a blockchain-based system that certifies the origin of cotton and production processes to encourage consumers to make more conscious choices when buying clothes made in cotton. A QR code on labels allows them to access information from farm to factory.
As part of Vicunha’s same focus on sustainably sourced cotton and responsible fashion in Brazil, it is a partner brand of Sou de Algodão, an eco-minded movement that supports Brazilian designers.
Image: Vicunha
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