The rise of single-serve packaging

CONSUMERS increasingly seem willing to spend more per volume in order to get multi-packs of single-serve sizes, even when comparable products are available at a lower price per unit volume. Although paying more in this recessionary period may seem irrational, there is actually pragmatism behind the selection of these options.
The rise of single-serve packaging is driven by change in consumer living conditions and experiences. Many more households today are smaller and have no need to buy in bulk or multi-serve packages, and many meals are in fact taken singly owing to busy lifestyles and fragmented schedules.
Diversity – the range of cuisine available in most urban markets today – also very much influences eating behaviour and impulses. Food purchases are much more multicultural today, and there is huge interest in greater variety of meals, snacks and drinks. Single-serve packaging very much serves this desire for new flavours, texture and food combinations. At the same time, the growing consciousness of food waste can lead consumers to choose smaller packages of perishable food rather than throwing out unconsumed food in multi-serve packaging that is past its "best by" date.
The pervasiveness of fast food restaurants is undoubtedly another influence, having inured consumers to portions in single-serve packages at the restaurant and on delivery. Another result of the fast food culture is that consumers have become used to eating on the go.
Health concerns also bolster demand for single serve options. Calorie control portion control, and five-a-day servings can also be reasons for taking the single serve route.
Packaging developers and manufacturers recognise this strong trend, and have developed solutions that answer consumer requirements for single serve and offer far more.

Recyclable lid made strong
Lids for dairy products in single-portion food packaging applications have many tasks to fulfil. They must protect the contents from contamination and light, they must be sturdy, and they must be easy to apply and remove. Most materials used for lids, like aluminium, meet some of these demands, but not all of them. Walki's fibre-based lid is outstanding in this sense, since it meets all these demands and is also recyclable.
Walki-Lid is made of paper and plastics that can be separated from each other as a part of the normal paper recycling process.

The extrusion-coated lid is durable, easy to print on and it can be cut into different sizes and shapes. And above all, it's easy for consumers to peel off the lid without tearing it and to dispose of it together with other paper waste.
"Originally we started to develop a fibre based lid for milk product packaging because we thought it would be stronger than traditional lids made of aluminium," says Heikki Lumme, Packaging Product Line manager at Walki. "But now the environmental issue is an equally important aspect".
One main advantage of Walki-Lid is its excellent printability, capable of carrying the most demanding graphics produced by modern printing processes.
"It's obvious that attractive looking packaging gets the customer's attention in the shops," says Mr Lumme. "That's why we think the product will benefit the whole supply chain, including brand owners and consumers."
He emphasises that a fibre-based lid, of which Walki is nearly the sole manufacturer, has an inherent strength and puncture resistance that is very important in some dairy product segments.
"Since traditional lids were also almost impossible to tear off in one piece, we saw a clear market for a paper-based lid that is both strong and easy to open. Altogether, we think that our lid strengthensFemme