Imagine if all the plastic you use on a daily basis, from your cellphone, water bottles and even computer screens, could be created out of thin air or from plant-based materials.

A professor with Memorial University’s department of chemistry, Chris Kozak, is exploring the possibility of creating different types of plastics out of either plants or carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air.

Currently, plastics are made from oil, a limited resource. It also creates a problem for ocean life because it isn’t biodegradable; it just breaks down into smaller pieces which can be consumed by seagulls and aquatic life.

“Plastics can be used to make just about anything,” Kozak said. “The raw materials used to make plastic, polymers, are really robust. The down side is that they last for ages and that’s a problem.”

Kozak is using chemistry to explore biodegradable options for making plastics from renewable resources that are functional, accessible and safe. This promising and novel research awarded him the Terra Nova Young Innovator Award in 2011, a shared commitment between Memorial University and Suncor Energy Inc.

One of his projects includes developing plastics from plant-based materials, known as polylactides, made up of the sugar from plants. Plastics made from polylactides include disposable cups and plastic cutlery. However, polylactides melt easily, so Kozak is exploring ways to make them more robust.

Another option is a type of plastic called polycarbonates, which can be made from CO2 and epoxide molecules (commonly found in types of glue).

In recent years, previous types of polycarbonates have come under fire due to the use of Bisphenol A (BPA) in their manufacture. Under high temperatures, polycarbonates may release BPA, and if ingested, BPA can mimic the hormone estrogen.

Instead of BPA, Kozak’s method uses CO2, an abundant and stable gas found in the air, along with epoxides that may be made from materials found in plants. By engineering the materials in the new polycarbonates, he can dial in the physical properties that control the melting point and flexibility of the plastic.

If successful, this plastic could replace some of what’s used every day, such as water bottles, cellphone cases, computer screens.

It would help address the dangerously high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a U.S. federal department whose mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, the level of CO2 in the atmosphere is higher now than it has been in hundreds of years, causing climate change. It also raises the acidity in the ocean, which leads to the destruction of coral and shellfish, affecting the food sources of many aquatic animals that rely on them.

“That’s my pie-in-the-sky goal,” Kozak said. “To make plastic out of trees and air.”