Spain consolidates its weight in corrugated cardboard while the sector looks at energy, recycling and automation

Spain consolidates its weight in corrugated cardboard while the sector looks at energy, recycling and automation

Spain's corrugated cardboard industry enters 2026 in a solid position within European packaging. According to recent AFCO data, the sector reached 7.168 billion euros in turnover in 2025, generated 26,875 jobs and produced 5.941 billion m² of corrugated cardboard, consolidating Spain as Europe's third production powerhouse.

The data confirms that cardboard remains central to logistics, food, e-commerce and distribution. But the moment is not without tension: the sector faces high energy costs, regulatory pressure, sustainability demands and increasingly aggressive international competition. Meanwhile, tissue and packaging segments continue to outperform graphic papers, which continue to lose structural weight.

One of the major drivers remains plastic substitution with paper and cardboard-based solutions. The entry into force of new obligations on commercial and industrial packaging since 2025 reinforces the importance of ecodesign, recyclability and extended producer responsibility.

Industrial movement is also evident. The new Ondupack plant in Navalmoral, with an investment of 49 million euros and a planned capacity of 200 million m², is an example of how the sector continues to invest in productive capacity, automation and efficiency.

At the corporate level, Spanish groups like Hinojosa continue strengthening their international presence. Its full integration of French group ASV Packaging expands its position in sustainable packaging and food packaging, confirming that Spanish companies not only compete locally but seek European scale.

The underlying challenge is clear: produce more, with less energy, less waste and greater added value. Competitive advantage will no longer be just in making boxes, but in offering complete solutions: structural design, quality printing, traceability, automation, technical service and demonstrable sustainability.

For machinery manufacturers, adhesive suppliers, inspection systems, industrial software, flexography, die-cutting and internal logistics, Spain will continue to be an attractive market. It is not a static sector: it is a mature industry in full technological renewal.