The adhesion of grafted polyethylene (PEg) to an ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), has been studied using different peel configurations and angles. Overall peel energies have been obtained and found to depend on peel angle. Experimental and theoretical studies of local peel arm curvature and opening angles near the crack front led to good agreement, the latter being based on elastic foundation theory and global elasto-plastic analysis. Having established the validity of the analysis used, the contribution to the peel energy pertaining to bulk bending of the peel arm(s) was estimated, allowing the local adhesion energy to be isolated. This was found to be virtually independent of peel angle. Scanning electron microscopy examination revealed a plastic, fibrillar craze zone in the PEg corresponding to a Dugdale zone. Nevertheless, adhesion energy was higher than expected from the Dugdale model. Energy dissipation in the vicinity of the Dugdale zone associated with shear deformation, and thus without apparent cavitation, may contribute to fracture energy. A rough estimate of the energy expended during the observed change in orientation of fibrils in the relaxation zone after the crack tip shows this contribution to be significant.