Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Taking Measure

Just a Standard Blog

Kate Beers

Kate has been on the NIST staff since joining as an NRC Postdoctoral Fellow in 2000. She studied polymer chemistry in school, and led multiple research efforts in polymers and complex fluids, including sustainability-related projects, in the Materials Science and Engineering Division before joining the MML Lab Office to lead the circular economy program. She lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with her husband, two teenagers, and two shelter cats, Chuck Norris and Dorito.

A small orange is packaged in a plastic container with a lid.

A Polymer Scientist Wrestles — Literally and Figuratively — With the Frustrations of Plastic Packaging

January 24, 2024

If you’ve resolved to be a more eco-conscious consumer this year, learn about how NIST’s circular economy lead thinks about plastic packaging in our everyday

Waste Not, Want Not: The ‘Circular Economy’ Gives NIST New Opportunities to Help Create a More Environmentally Sound Future

April 22, 2022

Our program should enable technological solutions that can be scaled up from individual molecules to entire industries across the whole supply chain.

Our Science in Your Inbox

Subscribe to our weekly emails.