Getting to know you: Zoe Brimelow, brand director, Duo Packaging

Zoe Brimelow is co-owner and brand director of Duo Packaging, the Manchester manufacturer that in September launched 2DPE, a graphene-enhanced polythene developed with the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre.

In trials for QVC, the film proved up to 35 per cent stronger and around 5 per cent lighter than the retailer’s previous film, while lifting recycled content from 45 per cent to 60 per cent.

The family business, founded in 1988, says it was the first UK manufacturer to make mailing bags from bio-based polythene derived from sugar cane, and Zoe was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester in 2024, recognising her expertise in circularity and international trade.

She tells Business Matters why she admires people who make things happen, the value of curiosity and why she would spend less time worrying about getting things right.

What do you currently do at Duo Packaging?

“My role is brand director, which involves leading the marketing and business strategy that helps build Duo’s reputation and awareness of how we can help companies to improve packaging performance and circularity. However, what I do day to day is much broader.

“I spend a lot of time looking for opportunities, understanding challenges and helping shape where the business goes next. Our new product, 2DPE, is a great example of this. We have used the strongest and thinnest known material, graphene, to create an advanced packaging technology that helps customers solve some of the biggest challenges they face, such as reducing carbon emissions, complying with circularity regulations, managing packaging costs and improving efficiencies.

“I have always been curious and I am energised by improvement, whether that is developing a new product, opening up a new market or helping a customer solve a problem they have been struggling with for years. What I enjoy most is building momentum. I love taking an idea, bringing the right people together and turning it into something that makes a genuine difference.”

What was the inspiration behind your business?

“Duo was founded in 1988 by my uncle and his business partner, and what started as a small Manchester manufacturing business has evolved significantly over the last four decades.

“From the beginning, the business has been shaped by a willingness to adapt, innovate and find better ways of solving customer challenges. Retail, e-commerce, sustainability and supply chains have changed dramatically over the years, and rather than simply responding to those changes, Duo has often looked for opportunities to stay ahead of them.

“Today, the next generation of the family, which includes me and my two cousins, continues to embrace the philosophy of curiosity that Duo was founded and built on. We enjoy accepting challenges, are inspired to find new ways of doing things and thrive on solving real problems for customers.”

Who do you admire?

“I am a big fan of people who make things happen. I am really fortunate to be surrounded by people who embody ‘can do’ in different ways, and I find that they always go about things in a genuine, authentic way, something I really admire. They respectfully go after what they want, adapt when circumstances change and create opportunities rather than waiting for them to appear.

“I also have a lot of admiration for a new generation of entrepreneurs like Grace Beverley and Grace Andrews. I enjoy seeing people share the reality of building something, not just the outcomes. There is something inspiring about watching people learn, evolve and back themselves along the way. Ultimately, I admire people who take action and make a difference to their own lives, businesses and communities.”

Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?

“I would probably spend less time worrying about whether I was getting something right. Overthinking decisions and a fear of making mistakes can delay action and prove counterproductive.

“I can also be a classic people pleaser, and have probably been one for far longer than I would like to admit. Over time, I have learned that confidence is not about being the loudest person in the room. It is about backing yourself, trusting your judgement and being comfortable with the fact that not everyone will agree with you.

“The other big lesson has been around wellbeing. Ambition is a wonderful thing, but not if it comes at the expense of your health. Learning to set boundaries, focus on what matters and say no to opportunities that are not right has been just as important as saying yes to the right ones.”

What defines your way of doing business?

“Curiosity is really important. Almost everything good in my career has started with a question. I have always been interested in how things work, how they could work better and what might be possible if you challenged the accepted way of doing something. That applies to packaging, manufacturing and life in general, and it was the driving force behind our new graphene-enhanced packaging.

“Developing the advanced material required a huge amount of asking ‘what if?’, because we were creating something new. We worked with the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre through more than a year of research, testing and commercial trials. Graphene was only discovered in 2004 and there are only a few packaging applications using it out there.

“Being curious required patience, especially during industrial trials, when the material was conducting far more heat than we thought possible during the extrusion process. Working with post-consumer recycled plastic is also a temperamental process, as the quality and consistency of the recycled material can vary significantly.

“Asking ‘what if’ and ‘what else’ pushed the innovation, overcoming hurdles during R&D to create an advanced material and apply it specifically for the live shopping retailer QVC. The result is 35 per cent stronger and 5 per cent lighter than its standard polythene film. In the QVC application, we also managed to increase the level of recycled plastic in the packaging from 45 per cent to 60 per cent, and we think this is only the beginning. We are continuing to look at how we can develop the technology further to create graphene-enhanced packaging films and mailing bags for other retailers and brands.”

What advice would you give to someone starting out?

“Put yourself in the room. Some of the biggest opportunities in my career have come from conversations I was not expecting to have. People often talk about luck, but a lot of what gets called luck starts with showing up, being curious and being willing to talk about what you are trying to achieve.”

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