10 May, 2016

Australian entrepreneurs are selling canned fresh air to polluted China

Others | AUSTRALIA | 10 May, 2016
Published by : Eco Media Asia

There’s a new business in Australia based on one simple idea: collecting fresh air and shipping it to customers living in polluted parts of China. Green & Clean Air, founded by John Dickinson and Theo Ruygrok, collects air from a number of iconic locations across the continent, including the Blue Mountains, Tasmania, and the Gold Coast. They’ve even expanded their offerings to include pure New Zealand air. At around $20 Australian a pop, these cans are clearly a luxury item.

Each can holds between 130-140 deep breaths, which are delivered using a special face mask that attaches to the nose and mouth. Air from each location is said to have a different “flavor” — the beach air supposedly smells of sea breeze and the mountain air is supposed to have a hint of Eucalyptus. The cans are being exported for sale in China, but are also being sold to tourists who want to take a bit of their trip to Australia back home when they leave.

The business was born a year ago, when Ruygrok arrived home from a trip to China and was astonished in the difference in air quality. He decided he wanted to find a way to share the pristine beauty of some of Australia’s most iconic natural landscapes and export it abroad. Now, the pair use what they call “mobile air-farming” technology to pump disposable cans full of fresh air.

Green & Clean Air is not the first company to turn a profit selling fresh air in China. With pollution so bad it’s estimated to kill 4,000 people a day, it’s not hard to see why bottled Canadian air is already flying off the shelves. While the idea of selling canned air to raise awareness of pollution is not a new idea — activists were using canned air to make a point as early as 2010 — the fact that it’s turned from an attention-grabbing stunt to an actual commercial product is a surreal twist.

Youtube | 7 News

The Chinese government has promised to reduce the pollution output of its state-run power plants by 60% by 2020, but in the meantime, perhaps the new canned air market can offer some temporary relief.

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Article by Julie M. Rodriguez at inhabitat.com
Source Mashable, 7 News &  Green and Clean