LG Chem is presenting its UNIQABLE packaging technology at Interpack 2026 in Düsseldorf, positioning ultra-thin mono-material polyethylene film as a response to the packaging industry’s need for recyclability, downgauging and high performance. The company is exhibiting under the theme “Material-driven. Redefining Packaging Standards”, highlighting how material design can help brands move away from complex multi-material structures without sacrificing functionality.

Interpack 2026, taking place from 7 May in Düsseldorf, is expected to gather more than 2,500 companies from around 60 countries and more than 170,000 visitors. For LG Chem, the event provides a global platform to present packaging materials aimed at food, pet food, household products and other consumer goods categories where flexible packaging must combine strength, sealing performance, barrier properties and recyclability.

UNIQABLE is designed as a single polyethylene-based packaging solution that can replace conventional multi-material composite films in selected applications. Traditional flexible packaging often combines several materials to achieve stiffness, sealing, barrier and print performance. While effective, these structures can be difficult to recycle because the layers are hard to separate. A mono-material PE approach can simplify recycling pathways while maintaining the properties required for demanding packaging formats.

Mono-material flexible packaging is becoming a key innovation area because it links recyclability with the performance standards required by food, household and consumer goods brands.

One of the main features of UNIQABLE is its downgauging potential. LG Chem is showcasing an ultra-thin packaging film material with a reported thickness of 14 micrometres, while also presenting samples developed down to 12 micrometres with equivalent material properties. Reducing film thickness can help lower material consumption, decrease packaging weight and improve resource efficiency across high-volume packaging applications.

Downgauging is important because it addresses sustainability from two directions. It reduces the amount of material placed on the market, while mono-material design can improve compatibility with recycling systems. For brands facing packaging waste rules, extended producer responsibility fees and internal sustainability targets, this combination is increasingly valuable.

• Mono-material PE structure supports improved recyclability compared with complex multi-material films.
• Ultra-thin film design helps reduce material use and packaging weight.
• Customisable properties allow brands to balance strength, sealing, processing and barrier needs.
• Commercial examples show how the material can be applied in real consumer packaging.

LG Chem describes UNIQABLE as a packaging solution that allows customers to design key properties from the material stage. These include processability, strength, sealing stability and moisture barrier performance. This level of customisation is relevant because flexible packaging applications vary widely. A detergent pouch, a pet food pack and a food pouch may all require different sealing behaviour, stiffness, toughness and barrier performance.

The company is also presenting real-world commercialisation cases at Interpack. These include a kitchen detergent pouch from LG H&H made with UNIQABLE material, as well as packaging for flagship products from major domestic food companies. Such examples are important because many recyclable flexible packaging concepts remain limited to prototypes. Demonstrating commercial use helps prove that mono-material PE structures can move into production environments.

For converters, the technology may also support a more practical transition toward recyclable flexible packaging. A material that can offer familiar processing behaviour and strong mechanical performance is easier to integrate into existing packaging operations than a solution requiring major equipment changes. This can reduce adoption barriers for brands and packaging producers.

The challenge for mono-material flexible packaging is achieving the right balance between recyclability and performance. Multi-material structures became common because each layer served a purpose. Replacing them requires advanced polymer design, film orientation, sealing control and barrier optimisation. LG Chem’s focus on ultra-thin MDO PE film shows how material science is being used to close that performance gap.

UNIQABLE’s presence at Interpack also reflects a wider industry trend. Packaging sustainability is no longer defined only by switching materials; it increasingly depends on engineering materials to use less, recycle better and still protect products effectively. For high-volume consumer goods packaging, the ability to reduce thickness without losing strength or seal integrity can have a significant cumulative impact.

As brands prepare for stricter packaging regulations and more demanding retailer requirements, materials such as UNIQABLE could play a growing role in flexible packaging redesign. The technology highlights how polymer innovation, downgauging and mono-material structures are converging to redefine what sustainable flexible packaging can look like at commercial scale.