When it comes to sustainability, Top 40 supplier Gemline (asi/56070) wants to be as transparent as possible. That desire is driving a new partnership with Aware, a global textile traceability solution for the fashion and textile industry.

Gemline’s newly redesigned MiiR Olympus collection of bags will feature Aware textile transparency technology. By scanning the QR code on the product hangtag, the end-user can see the entire journey of sustainable materials used in the product. Aware is a hybrid traceability technology, using a combination of physical tracer embedded into raw materials and a public blockchain record that prevents data-tampering. It works like a virtual product passport to authenticate sustainable material throughout the production process from textile to consumer, guaranteeing that a product is truly made from sustainable materials.

The 25L laptop backpack (101424) from Gemline’s (asi/56070) MiiR Olympus collection uses Aware technology so end-users can trace the product’s sustainable materials throughout the supply chain.

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“Gemline places a strong emphasis on substantiating the claims we make regarding the sustainability of our products,” said Frank Carpenito, president and CEO of Gemline. “The utilization of Aware’s state-of-the-art technology represents a groundbreaking advancement in enhancing textile transparency within our supply chain and sets a new precedent in the United States and promotional products industry.”

Carpenito has noted that greenwashing is a problem in promo and that industry leaders must hold each other accountable for green claims and increase supply chain transparency to remain credible with end-users. Using Aware technology is a step toward that goal.

“We take immense pride in being pioneers to introduce this breakthrough technology to the market and living up to our Betterway corporate social responsibility promise to create a positive and meaningful impact on both people and the planet through our products,” Carpenito said. “This technology is truly revolutionary and will allow our distributor partners to be leaders with their clients.”

Koen Warmerdam, co-founder and brand director of Aware, said his company is thrilled to partner with Gemline. “Consumers want to understand where their products come from, but it does not stop there,” he added. “They want total transparency. And that’s what we can give them with our technology. The whole supply chain becomes transparent, and the information is super reliable because we get the info from the primary source.”

Gemline’s MiiR Olympus collection, which features Aware technology, includes six modern bag styles, ranging from backpacks to messenger bags, sling bags and organizers, all built with recycled materials. For instance, the 25L laptop backpack (101424) is PVC-free and features a recycled nylon key fob, recycled poly cord and recycled POM pullers. Only a small portion of the bag is made from virgin materials, according to Gemline.

Plus, MiiR gives at least 1% of revenue to nonprofit organizations whose work empowers communities while benefiting the health of their natural environments. MiiR products contain a unique Give Code on the base of each product, allowing consumers to connect with the company’s transparent giving initiatives. As of 2023, MiiR said it’s given more than $4 million to 175 organizations. MiiR is a B Corporation, a member of 1% for the Planet, Certified Climate Neutral and a Certified Evergreen company.

Transparency and traceability continues to be an important aspect of companies’ sustainability journeys, and increasingly, businesses are turning to digital technology to help increase supply chain transparency. Several suppliers and distributors, for example, have turned to veritree, a tree- and kelp-planting initiative started by sustainable apparel brand tentree that uses the blockchain to verify its projects.

Founded in 1958, Gemline has put a strong emphasis on sustainability. The supplier recently released its third annual corporate social responsibility report, noting its bronze status with sustainability tracking company EcoVadis and the more than $740,000 it donated in 2022.

Based on reported 2022 North American promotional product revenue of $151 million, Gemline ranked 12^th on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest suppliers in the industry.

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