Gemar may be a company with a long history, but it has always been founded on innovation. From the entrepreneurial spirit that saw Angelo Rocca making balloons in a basement, to the drive that made us the largest balloon manufacturer in Europe, Gemar has always been at the forefront of new developments.

In recent years we have been proud to lead the way to a brighter, more sustainable future. One in which the balloon and party industry are environmentally aware and make a positive impact on the world.

One of the ways we have done this is by gaining ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certification. This process gives businesses a checklist of standards, specific to their unique situation, which must be met in order to gain certification. It means we know we have an effective Environmental Management System, to help us reduce waste and protect the planet.

In recent years we have taken this even further by commissioning an annual sustainability report. These reports have become increasingly common in many industries but we are the first to bring them to the world of balloons. We are passionate about doing everything we can to make the world a better place, for the environment, for animals, for the people we work with now and the generations that will come after us. It makes sense to invest in these reports, as a tool to help us to do the very best we can and demonstrate that to the whole industry.

A sustainability report details how a company is working towards being more sustainable. It can include all sorts of topics, from environmental issues to ethical concerns. A good report delves deep and examines every aspect of the business. It will also detail things the company is still working towards, or areas in which they need to improve.

Of course, any internal report is always going to be biased, so it’s best practice to have it carried out or certified by a third party. That way you can be sure the information is complete and accurate. A certified sustainability report means the business is open and transparent about the impact they have on the world. There’s no risk of “greenwashing” or misleading anyone, even accidentally. A certified report is the unvarnished truth.

Our report has been certified by Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), an international organisation that provides the world’s most widely used standards for sustainability reporting. This means that Gemar has been fully audited and our report was prepared according to their framework. We take sustainability seriously.

It’s not easy to predict what will happen next as the global community moves towards a more sustainable future. The one thing we do know is that Gemar will be leading the way!