Duo Packaging Launches Graphene-Enhanced Flexible PE Film

A UK converter has developed a graphene-enhanced flexible polyethylene packaging film that significantly improves material strength while reducing overall material consumption. This material is already in use in the retail and e-commerce sectors.

Duo Packaging, a 37-year-old company headquartered in Manchester, UK, states that the product, known as 2DPE, also allows for higher recycled content in films. While maintaining tensile strength and tear resistance, the material is said to improve processing and energy efficiency during manufacturing.

The company and the University of ManchesterGraphene Engineering Innovation Center（GEIC）Co-developed this film.GEIC and the shopping retailer QVC conducted industrial trials, demonstrating that the film increases material strength by 35% and allows for the use of 45% to 60% recycled content in packaging.

Duo reported that QVC has adopted 2DPE at its UK fulfillment center in Liverpool, replacing standard automatic bagging film. This change is expected to save approximately 50 metric tons of virgin plastic and 148,000 tons of carbon emissions annually. Additionally, the 5% weight reduction provides retailers with an added benefit—saving around £21,150 per year in packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees.

Secret Ingredient

So, what exactly is graphene? Duo Packaging explains on its website that it consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal honeycomb structure. “Graphene is only one atom thick and is renowned worldwide for its exceptional strength, low weight, flexibility, and thermal conductivity. These unique properties help make it one of the most extensively studied advanced materials in the world.”

The company stated that for decades, scientists believed it was impossible to isolate and study materials just one atom thick. In 2004, researchers at the University of Manchester proved otherwise. These researchers—Sir Andre Geim and Professor Konstantin Novoselov—used a surprisingly simple technique involving adhesive tape and graphite to isolate single layers of carbon atoms. This opened the door to an entirely new field of materials science. Just six years later, the pair was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their groundbreaking work.

The company stated, “The launch of 2DPE represents one of the most significant innovation initiatives in Duo’s history. Following more than a year of research, testing, and commercial trials, this material combines advanced graphene technology with practical packaging expertise to create a new generation of flexible packaging solutions.”

A series of opportunities

“For us, this launch is more than just introducing a new material. It’s about exploring how advanced materials can help organizations address some of their biggest packaging challenges today, including increasing recycled content, reducing packaging material usage, and maintaining packaging performance.”

Duo stated that it developed films for its business operations to seek increased recycled content, reduce measurement opportunities, improve heat-sealing performance, and enhance operational efficiency. Meanwhile, it is also exploring other potential applications in broader flexible packaging formats.

We have collaborated with customers to explore other applications, gather further performance data, and understand how graphene-enhanced materials can support a broader range of packaging requirements.

“As organizations continue to rethink how packaging is designed, specified, and managed,” the company stated, “innovation will play an increasingly vital role in helping them navigate change. We believe 2DPE is a prime example of how advanced materials science and packaging expertise can come together to enable businesses to make uncompromising progress.”