Why we use the acacia tree

The acacia tree is a common sight in Indonesia, where it is widely used by the pulp and paper industry.

APRIL uses two kinds of acacias, Acacia Mangium and Acacia Crassicarpa, which are adapted for different kinds of soil.

So why is the acacia tree so popular? First, its fibers are particularly well suited to making paper, and are widely used to manufacture writing paper, packaging, cardboard and other uses.

It’s also a fast-growing tree. In the fertile soils and warm climate of Indonesia a tree can be ready for harvest in as little as five years, compared to 25 in Europe.

Acacias also help fix the soils structure, helping prevent floods and landslides. This is especially important in hilly or mountainous areas, but the tree also does well in lowlands.

Our nurseries produce 150 million seedlings per year, providing a constant supply of this sustainable resource. We are also committed to conserving the same amount of natural forest as the size of our fibre plantation areas as part of our sustainability policy.

Through our R&D efforts and silviculture we’ve been able to increase the annual yield of our trees from 22m³ per hectare per year in 1996 to 32m³ per hectare per year in 2010, and hope to increase this to 35m³ by the end of the decade.