All of this is part of the high-value international flexible packaging market. To provide some reference figures, according to Mordor Intelligence, the European market was worth USD 54.42 billion in 2025 and could reach USD 64.52 billion by 2031. In North America, the market was valued at USD 51.98 billion in 2025, with a forecast of USD 62.91 billion by 2031.

by N.S

To understand what is changing in single-serve packaging, after analysing the market data, we met with Nicolò Giovannini of Universal Pack. The discussion starts from a decisive topic: the evolution of packaging materials.

Stick packs and sachets are formats experiencing strong growth, but their future depends on the ability to combine sustainability, product protection and industrial performance. It is precisely around this balance that one of the most widely discussed transformations in the packaging world is currently focused: paperization, meaning the transition towards paper-based structures. This is a topic that Universal Pack will also bring to the PRIMA conference in Vienna, where it will be at the centre of the discussion between material innovation and actual industrial applicability.

Universal Pack at PRIMA (Vienna, Austria): discussing paperization in packaging

Universal Pack’s participation in the PRIMA conference in Vienna on 7^th September is part of the debate on paperization, one of the most topical issues in the evolution of packaging. The question is not simply about replacing one material with another, but about understanding whether paper-based structures can become solutions that are genuinely applicable on an industrial scale.

Nicolò Giovannini’s presentation will focus on the evolution of materials for single-serve packaging, with particular attention to paper. These materials are attracting strong interest because they increase the renewable content of packaging and convey an immediate perception of sustainability to consumers.

“Perception is not enough. Every material must run on the machine with continuity, quality and reliability. Even a sustainable material must guarantee performance and be validated at an industrial level. Machinability and sealability are critical factors, especially on high-speed machines such as ours,” explains Giovannini.

“Universal Pack develops high-productivity solutions capable of packaging more than 2,000 sachets per minute. At these speeds, a material cannot be assessed solely on the basis of its renewable content. It must run correctly, form without defects, seal consistently and maintain pack quality throughout the subsequent stages. Paper-based structures still present specific critical issues: narrower sealing windows, greater stiffness and lower adaptability to machine handling compared with plastic films. This can affect the appearance of the sachet, sealing quality and, in the most critical cases, the integrity of the pack.”

It is easy to understand that paperization is not an automatic process. It requires testing, validation and collaboration between material manufacturers, machine manufacturers, user companies, logistics operators and brand owners.

“Cost is also a decisive factor. In fact, if a more sustainable material generates excessive cost increases, there is a risk that its large-scale adoption will be hindered.” For Giovannini, the challenge is “to find the best balance between the material, machinability and the overall system: not the perfect material, but a system capable of combining sustainability, industrial performance, pack quality and economic efficiency.”

Materials for single-serve packaging: Europe and North America between sustainability, performance and costs

Paperization single-serve packaging — **Each product has its own characteristics, each material behaves differently, and each format introduces new variables into a complex system. (photo: Universal Pack)**

In single-serve packaging, the material is a process variable. It affects pack quality, sealing stability, machine speed and production continuity. For this reason, the transition towards new solutions must be assessed not only from an environmental perspective, but also from an industrial one. “Europe and North America are following different paths,” Nicolò Giovannini explains.

“In Europe, the PPWR is accelerating the development of recyclable packaging, the reduction of virgin raw materials and the increase in recycled plastic content. In North America (the United States and Canada), change is more fragmented and is driven mainly by brand strategies, retailer requirements, corporate policies and state-level regulations. Interest is growing in mono-material and recyclable materials, in recycled content, and in paper-based structures. However, traditional multilayer laminates remain widespread, especially when high barrier performance is required against moisture, oxygen, light and aroma loss. For many food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical applications, this protection remains essential.”

Sealing temperature and sustainable materials: the technical challenges to address

The transition from traditional films to more sustainable materials is transforming single-serve packaging. The goal is to increase recyclability without compromising product protection, pack quality and industrial efficiency.

“I do not see many alternatives,” observes Nicolò Giovannini. “Everyone will follow their own path, but the goal of recyclability is fundamental in both Europe and North America.”

The challenge is to find the right balance between material and machine. The film must protect the product, but it must also run stably throughout the packaging process. This transition is particularly delicate when moving from traditional multilayer laminates to mono-materials.

“With traditional materials, the difference between the melting point of the inner layer and that of the outer layer makes it possible to operate at higher sealing temperatures; the process is therefore more stable. With mono-materials, on the other hand, the thermal window becomes narrower: the material is more sensitive to heat and requires more precise control of surface temperatures.”

Heat must be managed more effectively, the sealing surfaces must be controlled, and the contact time during sealing must be optimized. In some cases, increasing this time makes it possible to achieve a proper seal without using excessively high temperatures.

The challenges are not limited to sealing. Paper-based materials and some new-generation films can have different stiffness, running characteristics and mechanical behaviour. They therefore require gentler transitions, more rounded contact points and solutions designed to reduce friction.

North America, multinationals and contract packers: when sustainability becomes an industrial choice

In North America, the transition towards more sustainable materials in single-serve packaging is driven primarily by the market. This differs from Europe, where the PPWR sets out a defined regulatory direction. In the United States and Canada, change is driven by the strategies of major brands, retailer requirements and the value consumers place on more responsible packaging.

“Sustainability is a positioning lever. Recyclable, compostable, mono-material or paper-based materials can strengthen the product image. However, return on investment is decisive: if a new material involves higher costs or costly technical adaptations, the benefit must be clear and measurable,” explains Nicolò Giovannini.

“Multinational companies play a decisive role. Large brands often define specifications related to recyclability, recycled content, packaging reduction and improved environmental performance. These requirements are transferred along the supply chain, involving contract packers, namely companies that package products on behalf of third parties and may have to process different films for different customers. They therefore have to meet different requirements in terms of sustainability, barrier performance, format and overall performance. The machine must ensure precise, repeatable and safe adjustments, as well as dedicated recipes to switch quickly from one product reference to another. This is where Universal Pack takes on the role of a technology partner, assessing the behaviour of the film on the machine and supporting the customer in identifying the most suitable configuration, especially when new-generation materials are used.”

Material selection influences investment decisions. An efficient machine designed to run only one film or one application is not enough. What is needed is a platform capable of adapting to different specifications while maintaining sealing quality, productivity and process continuity.
Time to market is also critical. When a multinational company defines a new product reference, the industrial response must be rapid, controlled and reliable.

Single-serve packaging: from the barrier performance of aluminium to a flexible platform

The transition from traditional materials to more sustainable solutions is not a simple substitution. For years, high-barrier multilayer laminates, often containing aluminium, have been a benchmark in single-serve packaging. Structures such as PET, aluminium and PE were developed to ensure product protection, good sealability, process stability and high production speeds.

“If we look at the past, multilayer materials were designed primarily for performance,” explains Nicolò Giovannini. “Aluminium was the barrier layer par excellence. It provided protection, while the laminate structure ensured good sealability and high production speeds.”

Today, mono-materials and paper-based structures are changing this balance. They can improve recyclability, reduce environmental impact and increase the renewable content of packaging. However, they introduce new complexities: lower elasticity, greater stiffness, sensitivity to moisture, narrower sealing windows and less predictable mechanical behaviour.

The first point to verify remains barrier performance. If the material does not adequately protect the product, shelf life is reduced, with consequences for logistics, distribution and the supply chain. Sustainability must therefore always be assessed together with industrial functionality.

Paper-based structures are more rigid and less malleable than many plastic films and can generate wrinkles during machine processing. In the most critical cases, these wrinkles can compromise pack integrity or negatively affect the appearance of stick packs and sachets, especially for premium products.

For this reason, Universal Pack works with customers through preliminary testing. Before industrial production, it is necessary to understand how the film runs, forms and seals, and what level of stability it ensures throughout the process. Every stage, from reel unwinding to cutting and, where applicable, insertion into cartons, can influence the final result.

“Multinational companies expect the same performance even when they change materials,” observes Giovannini. “Switching to new films does not automatically mean reducing speed or productivity. The right compromise must be found.”

This evolution is changing the concept of the machine. A system designed for a single product and a single film is no longer enough. What is needed is a flexible production platform capable of adapting to materials, specifications and market requirements that are constantly evolving.

Transition towards increasingly sustainable materials: different materials for different products
In single-serve packaging, material selection depends on the product to be packaged. Each application requires a specific balance between barrier performance, sealability, process stability and shelf life.
“The transition towards recyclable, mono-material or paper-based materials started in the food sector*, where market pressure is immediate. Consumer perception matters greatly and influences applications,” continues Giovannini. “Universal Pack is a benchmark with its state-of-the-art solutions designed for different industrial requirements. This enables technology transfer between application sectors.”
“One of the challenges associated with high-speed single-serve packaging concerns the sealing polymer layer,” observes Giovannini. “It is often very thin, which makes the sealing window more limited. The challenge becomes greater with powdered products. During dosing, fine powder can reach the sealing area and prevent a perfect seal. Universal Pack uses extraction systems to reduce the risk, but with some paper-based materials even a minimal particle can create a microchannel and compromise the integrity of the sachet.”

This is an example of how sustainability must be assessed together with machinability. A material must protect the product, seal correctly and run stably at high speed.

The Universal Pack Laboratory: product, material and machine validated as a single system

The Universal Pack Laboratory is a technical validation platform where product, material and machine are analysed as a single system before industrial start-up. New films are tested under real operating conditions to verify machinability, sealability, stability and process compatibility, reducing technical risk and making material innovation genuinely applicable to single-serve packaging.

Each product has its own characteristics, each material behaves differently, and each format introduces new variables into a complex system that originates from the contribution of different industrial players.

“Our task is to validate the correct functioning of the entire system,” explains Nicolò Giovannini. “We verify that the machinability of the product-material system is suitable for our high-speed machines. Aspects related to barrier performance, shelf life and material properties, on the other hand, remain the responsibility of laminate suppliers and product specialists. The material manufacturer evaluates the film structure, barrier performance and sustainability targets. Universal Pack verifies how that film behaves on the machine: reel unwinding, running, forming, sealing, cutting and handling during the subsequent stages.”

This perspective shows how much the future of materials for single-serve packaging depends on collaboration between all the players in the supply chain: those who develop the material, those who build the machine, those who package the product, those who distribute it and those who bring it to market. A pack may be perfect at the end of the sealing process, but it must then maintain its performance until it reaches the hands of the final consumer.

“Temperature, humidity, transport, altitude, vibrations, handling and product characteristics can alter the behaviour of the sachet. For this reason, validation cannot stop at the machine.”

Giovannini gives a concrete example: “Some customers, after testing at Universal Pack, transported the packs to the mountains to verify their integrity at different altitudes and under different climatic conditions. It is a simple but meaningful test. It shows how packaging performance depends on many variables, some of which are difficult to predict.”

Sustainability, therefore, must be proven in real industrial conditions. A material must protect the product, ensure pack integrity, maintain visual quality and enable efficient production. Only through the balance between material, machine and supply chain can innovation become a truly applicable solution.

Universal Pack at PACK EXPO International (Chicago, USA): key messages for the North American market
At PACK EXPO Chicago, Universal Pack’s message to North American manufacturers will be clear: the future of single-serve packaging will be driven by the balance between sustainability, production flexibility and economic efficiency. Universal Pack’s state-of-the-art solutions address a wide range of production requirements:

Industrially applicable sustainability, with materials validated on the machines and genuinely compatible with the production process.
Product protection without sacrificing productivity, because a new material must ensure barrier performance, sealing quality and process continuity.
Flexibility in material handling, to process traditional laminates, new-generation films, mono-materials, recyclable structures and paper-based materials.
Preliminary analysis of products and materials, through Universal Pack laboratories, to obtain an initial technical assessment before starting an industrial project.
Reduced technical risk before investment, by assessing in advance material machinability, sealing stability and product behaviour inside the pack.
Complete and integrated lines, no longer limited to sachet production alone, but designed to connect packaging, handling, automation and subsequent process stages.
Focus on the total cost of a production system, considering waste, overall efficiency, maintenance, production stability and the line’s ability to adapt to future requirements.
Customized solutions for food, beverage, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications, developed according to the relationship between product, material and machine.

This vision responds to strong demand from the North American market: more sustainable materials and flexible solutions, without sacrificing performance. For Universal Pack, sustainability is a concrete, validated and productive choice, a real condition for efficiency.