Italy Packaging Industry Size and Share

Packaging Industry In Italy (2025 - 2030)
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Italy Packaging Industry Analysis by Mordor Intelligence

The packaging industry in Italy market size stands at USD 3.44 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 4.04 billion by 2030, advancing at a 3.28% CAGR. The measured expansion reflects Italy’s alignment with the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) that entered force in February 2025, steering converters toward materials that meet mandatory recycled-content thresholds. Growth is amplified by a EUR 58.8 billion (USD 64.1 billion) domestic e-commerce sector that rose 4% in 2024, creating sustained demand for shipping-ready formats. Competitive strategies now prioritize mono-material designs, lightweighting, and AI-enhanced recycling, while opportunities emerge for suppliers that can bridge the North–South recycling-infrastructure gap and insulate customers from raw-material price volatility.

Key Report Takeaways

  • By packaging type, plastic retained a 42.43% share of the packaging industry in Italy market in 2024, whereas paper is forecast to expand at a 4.78% CAGR through 2030.
  • By packaging format, flexible solutions accounted for 55.34% of the packaging industry in Italy market size in 2024 and are expected to grow at a 5.11% CAGR to 2030.
  • By end-use industry, food led with 30.43% of the packaging industry in Italy market share in 2024, while e-commerce packaging shows the fastest 6.21% CAGR.

Segment Analysis

By Packaging Type: Paper Gains Ground Despite Plastic Dominance

Plastic retained a 42.43% share of the packaging industry in the Italian market in 2024, anchored by the barrier performance sought in food and personal-care categories. The segment’s expansion remains steady, though the packaging industry in the Italian market for paper alternatives is projected to grow at a 4.78% CAGR to 2030 on the back of e-commerce and PPWR-driven substitution.  

Paper converters win orders from online retail, corrugated boxes, and molded-fiber containers exempt from the plastic tax. Hybrid innovations, such as water-based coatings that replace polyethylene liners, shorten the payback for brand owners seeking recyclable claims. Glass maintains premium niches in beverages and cosmetics; Verallia’s Italian division posted EUR 1.53 billion (USD 1.80 billion) H1 2024 revenue, aided by recycled-glass surcharges passed onto buyers. Metal cans, prized for infinite recyclability, benefit from consumer trust in shelf-stable food during geopolitical supply disruptions. Firms straddling multiple materials hedge policy risks while servicing customers migrating between substrates.

Packaging Industry In Italy: Market Share by Packaging Type

Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase

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By Packaging Format: Flexible Solutions Drive Market Evolution

Flexible packs dominated with 55.34% share in 2024 and are forecast to grow at a robust 5.11% CAGR, underscoring the format’s coexistence of leadership and momentum. In volume terms, the packaging industry in the Italian market size for flexible applications outpaces rigid competitors as brands convert tubs and jars into stand-up pouches to reduce shipping weight.  

Energy-price volatility strengthens the case for film-based formats that lower freight loads, particularly for household cleaners and condiments distributed via omnichannel networks. Rigid formats remain entrenched in glass bottles for wine and aluminum aerosols under stringent pressure standards, yet their growth trails flexible variants. Lavazza’s Tablì dispenser even sidesteps packaging, but most of its SKUs move toward mono-material films slated for 2025 recyclability targets. Dimensional-weight fees in parcel delivery reinforce flexible mailers equipped with gussets that expand during packing but ship flat inbound, illustrating how e-commerce redefines format economics.

Packaging Industry In Italy: Market Share by Packaging Format
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By End-use Industry: E-commerce Reshapes Traditional Hierarchies

Food products accounted for 30.43% of the packaging industry in the Italian market in 2024, bolstered by Italy’s globally renowned processed-food and specialty-pasta sectors. Yet the e-commerce channel posts the fastest 6.21% CAGR through 2030 as Italian consumers migrate to online grocery and direct-to-consumer luxury exports.  

Beverages sustain glass and aluminum demand as DOC-certified wine exports depend on perceived authenticity. Pharmaceutical packs enjoy recession-proof status, aided by EU serialization mandates that drive uptake of tamper-evident closures. Personal-care labels chase recyclable aesthetics; Guala Closures invested EUR 60 million to develop premium, recyclable whisky closures serving both on-trade and e-commerce gifting. Industrial users adopt tailored crates and EPS cushions aligned with heat-pump manufacturing clusters in the North, where safe transit of fragile compressors justifies higher unit costs.

Geography Analysis

Northern regions such as Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia-Romagna host 70% of national packaging capacity and boast recycling rates above 80%, giving local converters a compliant feedstock loop. These industrial corridors link seamlessly with Central European highways, easing the export of corrugated and flexible rolls to Germany and France.  

Southern Italy, while lagging at roughly 60% recycling, is set to receive PNRR-backed MRF upgrades, potentially injecting 1.2 million tonnes of recovered material annually by 2027. The gap creates arbitrage for converters locating near new facilities to secure recycled feedstock before Northern incumbents. Sardinia and Sicily leverage port access for Mediterranean exports, shipping canned tuna and specialty wines in Italian-made Glass.  

Italy’s geographic mid-Mediterranean position positions the packaging industry in Italy market as a conduit to North African growth economies seeking EU-compliant packaging. EPS demand clusters around Northern heat-pump factories, consuming a third of the 155,000-tonne national EPS market and generating consistent orders for molded-foam boxes.

Competitive Landscape

The packaging industry in Italy market comprises multinationals such as Mondi, Sealed Air, and Verallia alongside domestic specialists like Carton Pack and Zignago Vetro. Capital-intensive glass and aluminum segments lean toward oligopoly, whereas flexibles and corrugated remain fragmented with family-owned firms under EUR 200 million (USD 235.71 million) turnover.  

Sustainability credentials now decide tender outcomes; Mondi’s EUR 200 million (USD 235.71 million) Duino containerboard mill adds 420,000 tonnes of recycled capacity, winning e-commerce box contracts from fashion platforms. A2A’s AI-backed recyclate supply grants converters traceable PCR resin, differentiating their bids to FMCG giants.  

Technology suppliers also shape rivalry: TOMRA’s 97% PP purity ensures compliance with food-contact loops, while IMA sells high-speed pouch lines to converters pivoting from rigid cups. SMEs seek niche insulation by offering bespoke design services or rapid tooling for seasonal SKUs, yet rising EPR fees may trigger horizontal consolidation as compliance costs climb toward EUR 150/tonne by 2026.

Italy Packaging Market Leaders

  1. Tetra Pak International SA

  2. International Paper Company

  3. Mondi plc

  4. Stora Enso Oyj

  5. Smurfit WestRock

  6. *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Italy Packaging Market Concentration
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Recent Industry Developments

  • February 2025: The European Union PPWR came into force, setting recycled-content mandates and PFAS restrictions that overhaul Italian packaging specifications.
  • January 2025: Mondi launched operations at its EUR 200 million Duino recycled containerboard mill with 420,000 tonnes.
  • December 2024: A2A achieved 95% sorting accuracy after deploying Greyparrot AI across Italian facilities.
  • November 2024: Verallia reported EUR 1.53 billion (USD 1.80 billion) revenue and EUR 326 million (USD 384.20 billion) EBITDA for H1 2024 on higher recycled-glass volumes.

Table of Contents for Italy Packaging Market Report

1. INTRODUCTION

  • 1.1 Study Assumptions and Market Definition
  • 1.2 Scope of the Study

2. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4. MARKET LANDSCAPE

  • 4.1 Market Overview
  • 4.2 Market Drivers
    • 4.2.1 Growing adoption of lightweight and recyclable materials
    • 4.2.2 Surge in e-commerce parcel volumes
    • 4.2.3 EU PPWR and EPR compliance accelerating sustainable packaging
    • 4.2.4 AI-driven sorting and quality control in recycling facilities
    • 4.2.5 Heat-pump manufacturing boom driving EPS packaging demand
  • 4.3 Market Restraints
    • 4.3.1 Volatility in virgin polymer and paper pulp prices
    • 4.3.2 Plastic packaging tax (EUR 0.45 /kg) squeezing converter margins
    • 4.3.3 North-South disparities in recycling infrastructure
  • 4.4 Industry Value Chain Analysis
  • 4.5 Porter's Five Forces Analysis
    • 4.5.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers
    • 4.5.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers
    • 4.5.3 Threat of New Entrants
    • 4.5.4 Threat of Substitute Products
    • 4.5.5 Intensity of Competitive Rivalry
  • 4.6 The Impact of Macroeconomic Factors on the Market
  • 4.7 Technological Outlook
  • 4.8 Regulatory Landscape

5. MARKET SIZE AND GROWTH FORECASTS (VALUE)

  • 5.1 By Packaging Type
    • 5.1.1 Plastic Packaging
    • 5.1.1.1 By Type
    • 5.1.1.1.1 Rigid Plastic Packaging
    • 5.1.1.1.1.1 By Material Type
    • 5.1.1.1.1.1.1 Polyethylene (PE)
    • 5.1.1.1.1.1.2 Polypropylene (PP)
    • 5.1.1.1.1.1.3 Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
    • 5.1.1.1.1.1.4 Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
    • 5.1.1.1.1.1.5 Polystyrene (PS) and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
    • 5.1.1.1.1.1.6 Other Material Types
    • 5.1.1.1.1.2 By Product Type
    • 5.1.1.1.1.2.1 Bottles and Jars
    • 5.1.1.1.1.2.2 Caps and Closures
    • 5.1.1.1.1.2.3 Trays and Containers
    • 5.1.1.1.1.2.4 Other Product Types
    • 5.1.1.1.1.3 By End-use Industry
    • 5.1.1.1.1.3.1 Food
    • 5.1.1.1.1.3.2 Beverage
    • 5.1.1.1.1.3.3 Pharmaceutical
    • 5.1.1.1.1.3.4 Cosmetics and Personal Care
    • 5.1.1.1.1.3.5 Industrial
    • 5.1.1.1.1.3.6 Other End-use Industry
    • 5.1.1.1.2 Flexible Plastic Packaging
    • 5.1.1.1.2.1 By Material Type
    • 5.1.1.1.2.1.1 Polyethylene (PE)
    • 5.1.1.1.2.1.2 Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP)
    • 5.1.1.1.2.1.3 Cast Polypropylene (CPP)
    • 5.1.1.1.2.1.4 Other Material Types
    • 5.1.1.1.2.2 By Product Type
    • 5.1.1.1.2.2.1 Pouches and Bags
    • 5.1.1.1.2.2.2 Films and Wraps
    • 5.1.1.1.2.2.3 Other Product Types
    • 5.1.1.1.2.3 By End-use Industry
    • 5.1.1.1.2.3.1 Food
    • 5.1.1.1.2.3.2 Beverage
    • 5.1.1.1.2.3.3 Pharmaceutical
    • 5.1.1.1.2.3.4 Cosmetics and Personal Care
    • 5.1.1.1.2.3.5 Industrial
    • 5.1.1.1.2.3.6 Other End-use Industry
    • 5.1.1.2 By Product Type
    • 5.1.1.2.1 Bottles and Jars
    • 5.1.1.2.2 Pouches and Bags
    • 5.1.1.2.3 Bulk-Grade Products
    • 5.1.1.2.4 Other Product Types
    • 5.1.1.3 By End-use Industry
    • 5.1.1.3.1 Food
    • 5.1.1.3.2 Beverages
    • 5.1.1.3.3 Cosmetics and Personal Care
    • 5.1.1.3.4 Pharamceuticals
    • 5.1.1.3.5 Industrial
    • 5.1.1.3.6 Other End-use Industry
    • 5.1.2 Paper Packaging
    • 5.1.2.1 By Product Type
    • 5.1.2.1.1 Folding Carton
    • 5.1.2.1.2 Corrugated Boxes
    • 5.1.2.1.3 Liquid Paperboard
    • 5.1.2.1.4 Other Product Type
    • 5.1.2.2 By End-use Industry
    • 5.1.2.2.1 Food
    • 5.1.2.2.2 Beverages
    • 5.1.2.2.3 E-commerce
    • 5.1.2.2.4 Other End-use Industry
    • 5.1.3 Container Glass
    • 5.1.3.1 By Color
    • 5.1.3.1.1 Green
    • 5.1.3.1.2 Amber
    • 5.1.3.1.3 Flint
    • 5.1.3.1.4 Other Colors
    • 5.1.3.2 By End-use Industry
    • 5.1.3.2.1 Food
    • 5.1.3.2.2 Beverage
    • 5.1.3.2.2.1 Alcoholic
    • 5.1.3.2.2.2 Non-Alcoholic
    • 5.1.3.2.3 Personal Care and Cosmetics
    • 5.1.3.2.4 Pharmaceuticals (excluding Vials and Ampoules)
    • 5.1.3.2.5 Perfumery
    • 5.1.4 Metal Cans and Containers
    • 5.1.4.1 By Material Type
    • 5.1.4.1.1 Steel
    • 5.1.4.1.2 Aluminum
    • 5.1.4.2 By Product Type
    • 5.1.4.2.1 Cans
    • 5.1.4.2.2 Drums and Barrels
    • 5.1.4.2.3 Caps and Closures
    • 5.1.4.2.4 Other Product Type
    • 5.1.4.3 By End-use Industry
    • 5.1.4.3.1 Food
    • 5.1.4.3.2 Beverage
    • 5.1.4.3.3 Chemicals and Petroleum
    • 5.1.4.3.4 Industrial
    • 5.1.4.3.5 Paints and coatings
    • 5.1.4.3.6 Other End-use Industry
  • 5.2 By Packaging Format
    • 5.2.1 Flexible
    • 5.2.2 Rigid
  • 5.3 By End-use Industry
    • 5.3.1 Food
    • 5.3.2 Beverage
    • 5.3.3 Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare
    • 5.3.4 Personal Care and Cosmetics
    • 5.3.5 Industrial
    • 5.3.6 E-commerce
    • 5.3.7 Other End-use Industry

6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

  • 6.1 Market Concentration
  • 6.2 Strategic Moves
  • 6.3 Market Share Analysis
  • 6.4 Company Profiles (includes Global level Overview, Market level overview, Core Segments, Financials as available, Strategic Information, Market Rank/Share for key companies, Products and Services, and Recent Developments)
    • 6.4.1 Tetra Pak International SA
    • 6.4.2 International Paper Company
    • 6.4.3 Mondi plc
    • 6.4.4 Stora Enso Oyj
    • 6.4.5 Smurfit WestRock
    • 6.4.6 Amcor plc
    • 6.4.7 Carton Pack SpA
    • 6.4.8 Zignago Vetro SpA
    • 6.4.9 Wipak Bordi Srl
    • 6.4.10 Plast Pack Packaging Srl
    • 6.4.11 Rotofil Srl
    • 6.4.12 AFG Srl
    • 6.4.13 Gruppo Goglio SpA
    • 6.4.14 Sealed Air Corporation
    • 6.4.15 Verallia SA
    • 6.4.16 Italpack Cartons Srl
    • 6.4.17 PET Engineering Srl
    • 6.4.18 IMA Industrie Macchine Automatiche SpA

7. MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE OUTLOOK

  • 7.1 White-space and Unmet-Need Assessment
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Italy Packaging Industry Report Scope

Packaging provides a protective and informative covering to the product. It also keeps the product protected during handling, storage, and movement. Furthermore, covering provides useful information about the content of the package. The study tracks the demand for the packaging market through the revenue derived from sales of plastic, glass, paper, and metal packaging products. The research also examines underlying growth influencers and significant industry vendors, all of which help to support market estimates and growth rates throughout the anticipated period. The market estimates and projections are based on the base year factors and arrived at top-down and bottom-up approaches.

The packaging industry in Italy is segmented by material (paper, plastic, metal, and glass), packaging type (rigid and flexible), and end-user industry (food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, and personal care). The market sizes and projections are provided in terms of value (USD) for all the mentioned segments.

By Packaging Type
Plastic Packaging By Type Rigid Plastic Packaging By Material Type Polyethylene (PE)
Polypropylene (PP)
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polystyrene (PS) and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
Other Material Types
By Product Type Bottles and Jars
Caps and Closures
Trays and Containers
Other Product Types
By End-use Industry Food
Beverage
Pharmaceutical
Cosmetics and Personal Care
Industrial
Other End-use Industry
Flexible Plastic Packaging By Material Type Polyethylene (PE)
Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP)
Cast Polypropylene (CPP)
Other Material Types
By Product Type Pouches and Bags
Films and Wraps
Other Product Types
By End-use Industry Food
Beverage
Pharmaceutical
Cosmetics and Personal Care
Industrial
Other End-use Industry
By Product Type Bottles and Jars
Pouches and Bags
Bulk-Grade Products
Other Product Types
By End-use Industry Food
Beverages
Cosmetics and Personal Care
Pharamceuticals
Industrial
Other End-use Industry
Paper Packaging By Product Type Folding Carton
Corrugated Boxes
Liquid Paperboard
Other Product Type
By End-use Industry Food
Beverages
E-commerce
Other End-use Industry
Container Glass By Color Green
Amber
Flint
Other Colors
By End-use Industry Food
Alcoholic
Non-Alcoholic
Personal Care and Cosmetics
Pharmaceuticals (excluding Vials and Ampoules)
Perfumery
Metal Cans and Containers By Material Type Steel
Aluminum
By Product Type Cans
Drums and Barrels
Caps and Closures
Other Product Type
By End-use Industry Food
Beverage
Chemicals and Petroleum
Industrial
Paints and coatings
Other End-use Industry
By Packaging Format
Flexible
Rigid
By End-use Industry
Food
Beverage
Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare
Personal Care and Cosmetics
Industrial
E-commerce
Other End-use Industry
By Packaging Type Plastic Packaging By Type Rigid Plastic Packaging By Material Type Polyethylene (PE)
Polypropylene (PP)
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Polystyrene (PS) and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
Other Material Types
By Product Type Bottles and Jars
Caps and Closures
Trays and Containers
Other Product Types
By End-use Industry Food
Beverage
Pharmaceutical
Cosmetics and Personal Care
Industrial
Other End-use Industry
Flexible Plastic Packaging By Material Type Polyethylene (PE)
Biaxially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP)
Cast Polypropylene (CPP)
Other Material Types
By Product Type Pouches and Bags
Films and Wraps
Other Product Types
By End-use Industry Food
Beverage
Pharmaceutical
Cosmetics and Personal Care
Industrial
Other End-use Industry
By Product Type Bottles and Jars
Pouches and Bags
Bulk-Grade Products
Other Product Types
By End-use Industry Food
Beverages
Cosmetics and Personal Care
Pharamceuticals
Industrial
Other End-use Industry
Paper Packaging By Product Type Folding Carton
Corrugated Boxes
Liquid Paperboard
Other Product Type
By End-use Industry Food
Beverages
E-commerce
Other End-use Industry
Container Glass By Color Green
Amber
Flint
Other Colors
By End-use Industry Food
Alcoholic
Non-Alcoholic
Personal Care and Cosmetics
Pharmaceuticals (excluding Vials and Ampoules)
Perfumery
Metal Cans and Containers By Material Type Steel
Aluminum
By Product Type Cans
Drums and Barrels
Caps and Closures
Other Product Type
By End-use Industry Food
Beverage
Chemicals and Petroleum
Industrial
Paints and coatings
Other End-use Industry
By Packaging Format Flexible
Rigid
By End-use Industry Food
Beverage
Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare
Personal Care and Cosmetics
Industrial
E-commerce
Other End-use Industry
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Key Questions Answered in the Report

How large is the packaging industry in Italy market today?

The packaging industry in Italy market size equals USD 3.44 billion in 2025 and is set to reach USD 4.04 billion by 2030.

What CAGR is expected for Italian packaging through 2030?

Forecasts call for a 3.28% CAGR between 2025 and 2030, driven by PPWR compliance and e-commerce growth.

Which packaging format grows fastest across Italian applications?

Flexible formats show the highest 5.11% CAGR, owing to lightweight designs that cut transport costs.

How is the PPWR affecting Italian converters?

The PPWR mandates recycled-content floors and design-for-recycling, pushing firms toward mono-material solutions and chemical-recycling partnerships.

Why is AI important in Italian recycling plants?

AI-based vision systems raise sorting accuracy above 95%, improving recyclate quality and lowering contamination fees for converters.

What role does e-commerce play in shaping packaging demand?

A EUR 58.8 billion e-commerce market fuels demand for right-sized corrugated boxes and protective flexibles suited to parcel delivery.

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