Duo Packaging’s graphene-enhanced 2DPE film allows flexible packaging manufacturers to increase recycled content while reducing material use and maintaining performance.
UK-based Duo Packaging has developed a graphene-enhanced polyethylene film designed to help flexible packaging manufacturers increase recycled plastic content while reducing material consumption. Developed with the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), the material, branded 2DPE, uses graphene to improve the mechanical performance of polyethylene film.
Industrial trials conducted with GEIC and live-shopping retailer QVC demonstrated that the material could increase film strength by up to 35%. The trials also enabled QVC to increase the recycled content of its packaging from 45% to 60%, while maintaining the performance required for automated packaging operations.
The graphene-enhanced film also delivered improvements in processing. QVC was able to reduce the heat-sealing temperature by 15°C compared with its previous film, while film thickness was reduced from 30 microns to 28 microns. This represented an approximately 5% reduction in packaging weight.
Following the industrial trials, QVC has switched from standard autobagging film to Duo’s 2DPE at its fulfilment centre in Liverpool. The move is expected to save approximately 50 tonnes of virgin plastic annually, while the reduction in packaging material could lower QVC’s packaging Extended Producer Responsibility fees by around £21,150 per year.
Duo initially developed 2DPE for e-commerce mailing bags and autobagging film, which are used to form, fill and seal packaging for products such as clothing, cosmetics, homewares and toys. The company is now working with other retailers and brands to explore additional applications for the material.
The technology is designed to address several challenges facing flexible packaging manufacturers at the same time. By improving the performance of recycled polyethylene, graphene reinforcement can allow manufacturers to use a higher proportion of recycled material without compromising strength and sealing performance. The material can also support downgauging, reducing the amount of plastic required for individual packaging products.
Duo says 2DPE can be processed within existing flexible LDPE recycling streams, meaning the graphene-enhanced material is designed to remain recyclable after use. The company is positioning the technology as a solution for businesses seeking to increase recycled content, reduce material consumption and improve packaging efficiency.
The development comes as packaging manufacturers and retailers face increasing pressure to reduce virgin plastic use and increase recycled content. Regulations such as the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation are also encouraging companies to reassess packaging materials, formats and recyclability.
For the plastics and packaging industries, the development demonstrates how advanced additives can be used to improve the performance of recycled polymers. Rather than simply replacing conventional polyethylene, the technology aims to strengthen recycled-content films sufficiently to enable both higher recycled content and material reduction.
Duo’s work with QVC also provides an example of how material innovation can move from laboratory development into commercial packaging operations. The combination of higher recycled content, lower film weight and reduced sealing temperatures could provide manufacturers with multiple routes to improve the environmental and operational performance of flexible packaging.
The company plans to continue developing applications for 2DPE across the wider flexible packaging market. If adoption expands, graphene-enhanced polyethylene could provide another route for retailers and packaging manufacturers seeking to reduce virgin plastic consumption while maintaining the mechanical and processing performance required for modern packaging.