Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie

What Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie does

Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie e.V. (VDW) is a German trade association founded in 1948 and registered as an eingetragener Verein in Berlin, representing the German corrugated board industry. It serves approximately 41 member companies operating around 119 production plants and 106 corrugating machines across Germany, with the member base including major multinational packaging producers such as Smurfit Westrock, DS Smith, and Mondi alongside domestic manufacturers. The association is governed by a board chaired by Dr. Steffen P. Würth and managed operationally by Dr. Oliver Wolfrum as Geschäftsführer, supported by a small staff of 1-10 employees. Its core mission is industry advocacy, data publication, sustainability positioning, and workforce development for the corrugated board sector.

VDW's technology focus is corrugated board (Wellpappe) itself, a paper-based material using starch adhesives whose wave-shaped cross-section delivers high stability at low weight. The association promotes member-company efficiency gains, including a reduction in average area weight to 500 g/m² in 2025 (a record low, more than 10% below 1990 levels), an 82.2% average recycled paper input rate, and a 95.3% recycling rate for used corrugated board in Germany with fibers recyclable more than 20 times. Member companies serve manufacturing, e-commerce, retail, agriculture, and consumer goods end-markets, where corrugated board holds a 68% share of the German transport packaging market in 2024.

The business model is association-based and member-funded: VDW collects membership dues from its ~41 member companies, supplemented by publication, event, and statistics-portal revenue. It distributes content and services through the main website (wellpappen-industrie.de), the public Zahlen und Fakten statistics portal, a members-only statistikportal, the Wellpappe Report and ausgepackt magazine, annual reports, and owned social channels on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. The go-to-market is community-led: VDW acts as the unified industry voice on regulation (notably the EU Packaging Regulation 2030), sustainability (via the Echt-Wellpappe and Kreislaufbewahrer campaigns), and workforce development through vocational training and continuing education programs.

Name

Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie

Legal name

Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie e.V.

Website

https://wellpappen-industrie.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie is a Berlin-based German trade association founded in 1948, representing ~41 corrugated board manufacturers operating ~119 production plants, providing industry data, regulatory advocacy, sustainability messaging, and workforce development services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association (Corrugated Packaging)

SIC

Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Folding Carton Board (FBB) Manufacturing (IMAMAFAH)

Keywords

• Corrugated packaging industry
• Industry trade association
• Sustainable packaging advocacy
• Packaging recycling statistics
• Industry training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: VDW operates as an industry association funded by membership fees from approximately 41 member companies operating around 119 production plants.
2. Industry statistics and publications: Annual reports, statistics publications, and industry data services provided to members and the public.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

VDW is a German industry trade association that represents approximately 41 corrugated board manufacturing member companies operating around 119 production plants. It provides industry statistics, publications, regulatory advocacy, sustainability campaigns, and vocational training programs. Its members produce corrugated board packaging — the #1 transport packaging material in Germany with a 68% market share — characterized by high stability, low weight, and a 95.3% recycling rate.

Product overview

Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie (VDW) is a German trade association for the corrugated cardboard industry, not a traditional product company. The organization promotes corrugated cardboard packaging as Germany's leading transport packaging solution, with a market share of 68% of all transport packaging. Its portfolio includes industry publications (Wellpappe Report, Jahresbericht, ausgepackt magazine), a comprehensive statistics portal (Zahlen und Fakten), educational resources, and public awareness campaigns (Echt-Wellpappe, Kreislaufbewahrer) focused on sustainability and circular economy principles. The association also provides career development services and training resources for the industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wellpappe Industry Representation & Information Member industry representation, public information, and advocacy services promoting corrugated cardboard packaging as Germany's leading transport packaging solution (68% market share) covering its protective, lightweight, recyclable, and customizable characteristics for industries including e-commerce, food, consumer goods, and furniture.
• Zahlen und Fakten Statistics Portal Online portal providing annual industry statistics and infographics for the German corrugated cardboard industry, including production data (5,314,126 tonnes; 11,194,882 thousand m² in 2025), market share, recycling rates (95.3%), and international comparisons; accessible to members and the broader public.
• Wellpappe Report Annual industry magazine providing comprehensive coverage of developments, trends, and statistics in the German corrugated cardboard packaging industry.
• Jahresbericht (Annual Report) Annual report publication covering the association's activities, industry developments, and outlook for the corrugated cardboard packaging sector in Germany.
• Ausgepackt Magazine Industry magazine featuring news, trends, and insights about the corrugated cardboard packaging industry in Germany.
• Industry Training and Continuing Education (Weiterbildung) Vocational training and continuing-education programs supporting workforce development in the German corrugated cardboard industry, including study opportunities in packaging and paper technology, apprenticeship contacts at member companies, and career guidance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 95.3% of used corrugated board in Germany is recycled back into the material cycle
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• BHS Corrugated Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationMajor supplier of corrugated board machinery and equipment to VDW member companies. Located in Weiherhammer, Germany.
• Bobst Group Deutschland GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment and machinery supplier for corrugated board production and processing. Located in Meerbusch, Germany.
• Fosber DeutschlandcoreTechnology or IntegrationCorrugated board machinery manufacturer serving the German market. Located in Dornhan-Leinstetten.
• Koenig & Bauer Sheetfed AG & Co. KGcoreTechnology or IntegrationPrinting press manufacturer for corrugated board printing applications. Located in Radebeul, Germany.
• KOLBUS GmbH & Co. KGcoreTechnology or IntegrationMachinery manufacturer for corrugated board processing. Located in Rahden, Germany.
• Valmet Automation GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationProcess automation and control systems for corrugated board production. Located in Leverkusen, Germany.
• Erhardt + Leimer GmbH Corrugated DivisioncoreTechnology or IntegrationConveyor systems and production equipment for corrugated board industry. Located in Bielefeld, Germany.
• Marbach Stanzformtechnik Karl Marbach GmbH + Co.KGcoreTechnology or IntegrationDie-cutting tools and stamping equipment for corrugated board processing. Located in Heilbronn, Germany.
• Smurfit Westrock (multiple German facilities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor corrugated board manufacturer with multiple facilities across Germany including Sarstedt, Delitzsch, Düsseldorf, Germersheim, Lauenburg, Neuburg, Plattling, and others.
• DS Smith Packaging (multiple German facilities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLeading corrugated board manufacturer with operations in Arenshausen, Arnstadt, Fulda, Hövelhof, Mannheim, Minden, Nördlingen, and headquarters in Nürnberg.
• Mondi (multiple German facilities)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorrugated board manufacturer with German operations in Bad Rappenau, Eschenbach, Ansbach, Ebersdorf, and Greven.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• FEFCO (European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers): FEFCO is the European-level counterpart trade association for corrugated board manufacturers. It serves the same member category (corrugated producers) with analogous advocacy, sustainability, and statistics functions, but at EU rather than national scope — the most directly comparable peer to VDW.
• Fachverband Kartonverpackungen (FKN): FKN is the German folding-carton industry association, structurally the closest peer at the same national level for an adjacent paper-based packaging segment. It performs comparable advocacy, training, and industry-data functions as VDW, making it a direct counterpart for benchmarking membership-fee models and statistical services.

Others

• Smurfit Westrock: Smurfit Westrock is among the largest members of VDW with multiple German facilities. Industry incumbent covering roughly the same corrugator/manufacturing technology stack that VDW represents in Germany.
• Mondi Group: Mondi is a key VDW member running multiple corrugated plants in Germany. Comparable as one of the dominant integrated paper-and-packaging manufacturers VDW serves, useful for sizing the industry VDW represents.
• DS Smith Packaging: DS Smith is one of VDW's largest member companies (Channel Partner) and a major corrugated manufacturer in Germany and Europe. Relevant as a downstream industry incumbent; comparable on the technology/manufacturing side though VDW itself does not manufacture.

Broad incumbents

• CEPI (Confederation of European Paper Industries): CEPI is the umbrella European association for the broader paper and pulp industry. It overlaps with VDW because members' parent companies operate in pulp and paper upstream — analogous association model, broader industry scope, and serves as a counterpart in cross-industry policy advocacy.
• Pro Carton: Pro Carton is the European association promoting cartonboard and folding carton packaging. It competes with the corrugated narrative for fiber-based packaging share but operates the same kind of trade-body model — relevant peer for marketing/advocacy benchmarking.
• Intergraf (European Federation for Print and Digital Communication): Intergraf represents European printing and converting industries — including corrugated converting operations that are VDW members' downstream activity. Useful as an adjacent industry-association peer covering the value chain intersection.

Regional players

• Verband Packaging Valley Germany e.V. Packaging Valley is a cluster/association for packaging machinery and technology firms in southern Germany. Not a direct peer of VDW, but conceptually overlaps via industry advocacy and serves a comparable set of German packaging-industry stakeholders.
• AFCOR (Associazione Fabbricanti Cartone Ondulato): AFCOR is the Italian corrugated board manufacturers' association — a regional counterpoint to VDW with identical association structure and similar mission. Comparable for cross-border benchmarking of statistical methodology and policy positions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@die_wellpappenindustrie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verband-der-wellpappen-industrie
• Instagraminstagram.com/die_wellpappenindustrie
• Xx.com/vdw_ev
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ausbildung.Wellpappenindustrie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Verband der Wellpappen-Industrie