If you sell a powder, supplement, condiment, cosmetic sample or wipe, a sachet or stick pack is often the format your customers want: single-dose, portable, no waste. The decision that follows is whether to use a full-service sachet contract packer or to buy ready-made sachets and fill them yourself. This guide sets out both paths, the cost crossover between them, and how to get the sachet specification right either way.
Why the sachet format matters
- Portion control. One dose, no measuring, no contamination of a bulk pack.
- Trial and sampling. A low-cost way to put product in a customer’s hand.
- Shelf life. A fresh barrier around every dose protects moisture and oxygen-sensitive ingredients better than a resealed tub.
- Freight and shelf. Flat, light and dense on a shelf or in a parcel.
The format only delivers those benefits if the film and seal are right for the product, which is true whoever fills it.
Path one: full-service sachet filling
A contract packer runs form-fill-seal lines, doses your product, seals, batch-codes and cartons. It is the right path when:
- Volume is high and steady enough to clear the packer’s minimum order quantity and run length.
- The product is hard to dose accurately, hygroscopic, viscous, aerated or prone to bridging.
- You need audited compliance you cannot build in-house (HACCP, GMP, ISO 22716 for cosmetics).
- You want one supplier to handle film, filling and cartoning.
The trade-offs are high MOQs, changeover costs, lead time in a shared queue, and less day-to-day control of batch size and reformulation.
Path two: ready-made sachets, filled in-house
You buy pre-made sachets or stick packs and fill them with a benchtop auger or piston filler and a heat sealer. This suits:
- Volumes below a co-packer’s economic minimum.
- Launches where you want to test several SKUs or formulations before committing.
- Free-flowing powders and stable liquids that dose cleanly.
- Businesses that want tight control of batch size, coding and changeovers.
The trade-off is throughput: benchtop filling is slower per unit and more labour-intensive, so above a certain volume a co-packer becomes cheaper per sachet. Model your own numbers, filler and sealer capital, labour per hour, output per hour, film cost, against a co-packer quote for the same annual volume.
The cost crossover
There is no universal figure, but the pattern is consistent: in-house filling wins at low and irregular volume and while you are still changing the product; a co-packer wins once volume is high, steady and the formulation is locked. Many brands start in-house to launch and prove demand, then move to a co-packer for scale. Work through contract packing versus smart in-house packaging for the framework.
Getting the sachet specification right
| Decision | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Barrier film | Foil laminate for oxygen and moisture-sensitive powders and actives; metallised or clear laminates for lower-risk contents; mono-material where shelf life allows, for recyclability. |
| Format | Stick pack for single powder servings; three-side-seal sachet for liquids, gels and larger fills; four-side-seal for a premium flat look. |
| Opening | Tear notch or laser score so the customer opens it cleanly without scissors. |
| Branding, dosing instructions, ingredients and a clear batch and best-before field. | |
| Fill weight and headspace | Leave enough seal area and headspace for a reliable seal at your fill weight. |
See sachet packaging design for more, and how to evaluate a sachet co-packer.
How Carewell Group helps
Carewell Group is an Australian packaging manufacturer and supplier. We are not a sachet filler or contract packer. We supply the sachet packaging:
- Ready-made three-side-seal sachets and stick packs in a range of barrier films.
- Roll stock and laminates for in-house form-fill-seal lines.
- Custom-printed sachets with your branding, dosing and batch fields.
- Right-sized outer cartons and water activated tape for retail and shipping packs.
Carewell can meet all your packaging needs for your business. Talk to our expert and we will work to your required MOQ. Call +61 (02) 8760 1491 or request sachet samples and a spec review.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use a sachet co-packer or fill in-house?
Fill in-house at low or irregular volume and while the product is still changing. Use a co-packer once volume is high and steady and the formulation is locked, or if the product is hard to dose or needs audited compliance.
Can I fill sachets myself?
Yes, with ready-made sachets or stick packs, a benchtop auger or piston filler and a heat sealer. It is slower per unit than a co-packer line but gives full control at low volume.
What is the difference between a sachet and a stick pack?
A stick pack is a narrow tube-shaped single-serve pack, usually for powder. A sachet is a flatter three or four-side-seal pouch that suits powders, liquids and gels.
Does Carewell fill sachets?
No. Carewell supplies ready-made sachets, stick packs, roll stock and outer cartons. We are not a sachet filler or contract packer.
Sources
- Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, packaging targets: apco.org.au
- Food Standards Australia New Zealand, food contact materials: foodstandards.gov.au
Written by Alif Vasaya, digital and content strategy, Carewell Group. Carewell Group is an Australian packaging, food packaging, tape, industrial safety and 3PL supplier serving all of Australia. Last updated 10 September 2026.