Gemline (PPAI 113948, S11) – ranked the No. 5 supplier in this year’s PPAI 100 – has taken another step forward as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) leader in the promotional products industry.

The Lawrence, Massachusetts-based company has announced a partnership with Aware, a blockchain technology provider that offers global textile traceability.

“Gemline places a strong emphasis on substantiating the claims we make regarding the sustainability of our products,” says 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.”

Here’s How It Works

Aware serves as a virtual passport to authenticate sustainable material throughout the production process.  

Gemline is introducing Aware to the U.S. market through its redesigned MiiR Olympus Collection, which includes backpacks, messenger bags, sling bags and organizers.

  • MiiR is a B Corp and Climate Neutral Certified company, which means that annually, the retail brand has committed to measuring and offsetting 100% of its carbon footprint while working to reduce emissions across its supply chain.
  • All of the bags in the MiiR Olympus Collection are built with recycled materials containing Aware’s textile transparency technology. By scanning the QR code on the product hangtag, the consumer can see the entire journey of the sustainable materials.


“Our partnership with Gemline, a company that has sustainability at its core, is something we’re thrilled about,” says Koen Warmerdam, co-founder and brand director of Aware. “Consumers want to understand where their products come from, but it doesn’t stop there. 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 Commitment To Sustainability

“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 says. “This technology is truly revolutionary and will allow our distributor partners to be leaders with their clients.”

Gemline recently released its third annual CSR report, which highlighted its bronze status with sustainability tracking company EcoVadis.