CPULD Graduate students, Sean Hobbs and Yash Mansharamani, present at the NWPCA conference

CPULD graduate students, Sean Hobbs and Yash Mansharamani, both gave presentations about their ongoing research projects at the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) Annual Leadership Conference in Fort Worth, TX this spring. The NWPCA holds multiple events a year with the goal of facilitating connections between research institutions and the packaging/pallet industry. In conjunction with the NWPCA, The Pallet Foundation sponsors research projects like those of both CPULD graduate student presenters.

Sean Hobbs is researching the current status of new wooden pallet manufacturing and pallet recycling in the U.S. A comprehensive survey is being used to gain important insights to the pallet market. The Pallet Foundation has historically funded survey projects like this for the wooden pallet market every 5-10 years with the last market survey being conducted for 2016. Data collection for this project started in September 2022 with the survey being deployed to collect detailed trends for the calendar year 2021. In particular, his study is investigating new pallet production estimates as well as collecting info about recovered pallets and what is done with them. Hobb’s is studying repair and resale numbers as well as collecting data about pallet material choices. Hobbs will analyze long-term trends by comparing his 2021 results to the results of previous market studies - especially the research conducted by previous Pallet Foundation / NWPCA grants.

Yash Mansharamani is researching the total amount of woody material and the number of wood pallets and crates that are received, recycled, and landfilled at MSW and C&D landfills as well as the tipping fee structure of landfills and the types of recovery operations that they have on site. A survey is being used to gain important insights into pallets’ various end of life scenarios throughout 2021. The Pallet Foundation has historically funded survey projects like this about landfilled pallets every 5-10 years. Mansharamani has developed an updated survey based on the previous projects. Data collection started in 2022 with the survey being deployed to collect detailed trends for the calendar year 2021. Mansharamani will analyze long-term trends by comparing his 2021 results to the results of previous market studies - especially the research conducted by previous Pallet Foundation / NWPCA grants.