ECMA & Co. - Important industry associations in the field of packaging

The packaging industry generated over 29 billion euros in sales in 2021. It is one of the growth industries. 80 percent of all companies are focused on packaging made of cardboard/paper and plastics.

The packaging industry is considered system-relevant. Packaging is indispensable for transporting goods and merchandise, for example in the food sector, to the end consumer. Without packaging, there is a threat of empty shelves. Its importance is also reflected in the growing segment of online mail order. This owes its upswing not least to the availability of outer packaging such as cardboard boxes.

An industry with this relevance organizes itself in professional industry associations. This is not just about safeguarding interests vis-à-vis political bodies. Industry participants also try to operate processes effectively through standardization.

With private standardization organizations such as ECMA, the packaging sector is setting standards in terms of effective self-organization. In this article, you can find out which other associations play a role in the packaging sector.

Europe-wide organization: The ECMA

The European Carton Makers Association (ECMA) has been uniting stakeholders in the packaging industry since 1960 at its headquarters in The Hague and a branch office in Brussels. It has set itself the task of facilitating communication about die-cut packaging and folding cartons by means of a specific code.

Here, it offers design definitions for a wide variety of folding cartons in a catalog with a system of letters and numbers. In this way, industry participants can communicate effectively and across language barriers throughout Europe about the specific shapes of folding cartons and effectively place orders with printers, for example.

ECMA's influence now extends beyond Europe, with stakeholders in the USA and Asia joining the ECMA system. ECMA is an excellent example of how private standardization without a legally binding character can achieve significance in an entire industry sector.

The FEFCO

All boxes made of solid or corrugated board are classified into different types with the FEFCO code.

This organization has also structured itself on a Europe-wide basis. It sees itself as a non-profit organization and stands for "The European Federation of Corrugated Board Manufacturers". It focuses on corrugated board. Here, FEFCO represents the interests of the participating industrial companies and addresses various topics such as technology, recycling and much more. The organization was founded as early as 1952.

It is FEFCO's particular concern to provide expertise and support to its members. This also involves repeatedly highlighting the advantages of corrugated board. Corrugated board is characterized, among other things, by

Longevity
Recyclability
Sustainability
Printability

from. The organization provides statistics on the use of corrugated board to interested end customers and consumers.

Figures are also interesting for this special interest group: in 2021, corrugated board sales amounted to almost 9 million m². Compared to 2020, sales have increased by around 550 million m².

By their own admission, the companies in this sector have thus far exceeded their growth target of one percent. Demand for corrugated board is increasing because this material can be used flexibly in so many areas, especially in online mail order. In this respect, the importance of the respective interest groups such as FEFCO is also increasing.

Industrial Association Paper and Film Packaging e.V.

The Industrieverband Papier- und Folienverpackung e.V. (IVP) sees itself as a lobby for companies that manufacture flexible packaging and pulp products such as napkins. Since its foundation in 1949, members have been able to take advantage of offers of advice and expertise in their market segment.

In working groups and specialist groups, the knowledge for the special subareas is kept up to date. Current topics, such as the question of reusability via various recycling processes, always come to the fore.

IPV maintains cooperation with other organizations from the packaging industry, including Wirtschaftsverband Papierverarbeitung e.V. Associations such as IPV cannot point to a position like ECMA, but they do hold important functions in their specific market segments.

The German Packaging Institute e.V.

The association provides important platforms that give packaging companies
impetus for new developments.

The German Packaging Institute e.V. has been in existence for 30 years. Its special feature is that it is concerned with an association of stakeholders along the value chain in the packaging sector. It recruits its members from the mechanical engineering, recycling, packaging, consumer goods and other sectors.

This makes the exchange effective across industries. Its current goals include establishing a circular economy throughout the packaging sector and implementing greater sustainability.

The DVI itself organizes seminars, congresses and events such as the Day of Packaging. Here, the entire packaging industry, including surrounding industry participants, finds opportunities for exchange and discussion.

The association has a key role to play in ensuring communication within the industry and across industries.

Association of the Corrugated Board Industry e.V.

The abbreviation VDW stands for Verband der Wellpappe-Industrie e.V. It, too, is an organization that focuses on the corrugated board segment. According to its own information, the association represents around 80 percent of corrugated board companies in Germany.

The organization sees itself here as a comprehensive representative of the interests of

association members, also vis-à-vis employee representatives and other industry sectors. Public relations work with information on corrugated board and its various applications is one of the association's main fields of activity.

In this context, the VDW also provides publications. The collection of market data and the analysis of the overall market situation are also among the tasks to which the organization devotes itself. It wants to be the contact for other industries that want to find out more about the subject of corrugated board.

Why does an industry like the packaging industry need its own interest groups?

System-relevant industries such as the packaging industry operate within a social and legal framework. Here, the stakeholders recognized early on that one needs one's own representatives of interests vis-à-vis decision-makers in politics. It is also important to provide knowledge and information for a particular industry.

Last but not least, this ensures the competitiveness of German and European industry participants in their respective segments. The importance of professional associations must not be underestimated.

The packaging industry, like other key industries, is facing major challenges. That is why the specialized organizations are becoming even more important.

Resource scarcity, rising energy prices, and discussions about sustainability are issues that the packaging industry is currently facing and will have to deal with for the foreseeable future. Recycling is becoming a key issue.

From these points of view, it seems possible that other interest groups will form to draw even greater attention to the packaging industry's plight due to energy shortages and rising prices.

The importance of organizations such as ECMA cannot be overestimated. As private standardization institutes, they provide indispensable impetus for cooperation and standardization inpackaging. This has been working for many decades, even though ECMA's proposals are not binding.

Acceptance of the organization and its codes is very high and now extends beyond Europe. If an industry like the packaging industry succeeds in organizing itself in this way, it will have a model effect for many other industries.

Conclusion: A well-organized industry sector

The packaging sector, especially in the paper and corrugated board segment, has strong self-governance through organizations such as ECMA. The industry has understood that it is systemically relevant and that packaging goes far beyond the industry itself in its importance.

The social relevance of packaging is reflected not least in the fact that this industry is classified as indispensable. As in many key industries, current challenges such as resource scarcity, energy transition and sustainability efforts demand many efforts from stakeholders.

In many areas, these can only be managed jointly by the entire industry, because the individual company is overwhelmed by them. The industry associations can play their part in making the interests of the important packaging industry heard by the public and also by political decision-makers.

Without packaging, no goods in stores - this is the scenario we should always keep in mind when we look at the packaging industry and its industry representatives.

It is impressive that this industry has a high degree of self-organization. This is particularly evident in the ECMA, which has been setting standards for folding cartons and die-cut packaging since the middle of the last century.

FAQ

Is there an industry association that represents the overall interests of the packaging industry?

The organizations around the packaging industry are divided into different segments and specializations. ECMA, for example, is concerned with standards for folding cartons, while other organizations see themselves as stakeholders and knowledge forums for various sub-segments.

Will associations become even more important for the packaging industry in the future?

This can be assumed in view of the upcoming challenges such as scarcity of resources, energy crisis and efforts in the area of recycling. In some cases, individual companies will have to look for solutions with each other across industries, because one company alone cannot master the problems.

Why is the subject of corrugated board attracting so much attention, even in the industry's self-organization?

Corrugated board is in great demand as a base material for a wide variety of applications. Demand here has been increasing in recent years. Especially when it comes to greater sustainability and recycling, corrugated board cuts a particularly good figure. That is why specialized industry associations are working to make the material even more successful. Corrugated board benefits the image of the entire packaging industry.