Vicunha, a Brazilian manufacturer of denim and twill fabrics and one of the world’s largest specialists in this field, has recently invested in Sonovia Tech, an Israeli textile-tech company that develops ultrasound-based technology for textile processes.
Sonovia has achieved a new step by applying the use of nanotechnology and ultrasound waves during the dyeing process. This allows them to significantly reducing the need for water, chemicals, and energy compared to conventional processes. It also offers additional benefits, including reduced effluent discharge, elimination of sodium hydrosulfite, a significant decrease in waste generation, lower fuel consumption for steam generation, and reduced electricity consumption.
According to Sonovia’s LCA reports, their technology saves 85% of water, along with a cut in energy consumption and waste management because the process uses 30°-degree water, without employing any chemicals. For all these reasons, this process produces 60% less CO2 than traditional dyeing methods.
The new partnership will enable Vicunha to develop and industrially scale a technology with the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the dyeing process, and the us of resources by saving costs that are usually applied to traditional indigo treating technology.
“Our genuine commitment to sustainability drives us to continuously seek technologies capable of transforming the way we produce,” commented German Alejandro Silva, executive commercial and marketing director, Vicunha.
“Our partnership with Sonovia brings this vision to life and reinforces our position as an innovative company, prepared to offer customers solutions that are increasingly aligned with global demands for efficiency and environmental responsibility,” he added.
Implementation will begin with technology validation across operations, with the launch of the first products expected later this year. In addition to environmental and operational gains, the technology enables greater flexibility in developing fabrics with different behaviors in the laundry process while maintaining high quality standards, expanding the portfolio of solutions for brands and garment manufacturers.
This initiative strengthens Vicunha’s global strategy in building more sustainable supply chains. By incorporating processes with a lower environmental impact, the company expands its ability to offer products that contribute to the ESG goals and also aligns it with the public commitments made under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
By 2030, the company’s goals include increasing water-use efficiency, eliminating the consumption of water sourced from surface water bodies in its operations in Ceará, expanding the production of sustainable fabrics—including those made with recycled fibers and regenerative cotton—and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills.
With the incorporation of Sonovia’s technology, Vicunha aims to accelerate these commitments and further evolve to reach more sustainable results at industrial scale, and meet the demands of the global market.
Vicunha is a Brazilian multinational company founded 59 years ago with its presence across Latin America, Europe, and Asia counting about 4,500 clients in 20 countries. It employs about 6,000 people through its five productive hubs in Brazil and 11 commercial offices worldwide.