A Swiss start-up company has launched sales of local Alpine air bottled for residents of heavily polluted cities elsewhere in the world, Swiss media reported Wednesday.
Swiss Alpine Air is bottling the fresh air from Switzerland and it is targeting those living in polluted cities elsewhere in countries such as some Asian countries, and also tourists visiting the country, The Local Ch reported.
The air is collected from various locations around the Swiss Alps and it is compressed into an aerosol can and is sold with an attached face mask to assist with breathing, the company said in a press release.
A seven-liter can of air is selling for 19.95 Swiss francs (20.75 U.S. dollars) and contains enough air for 120 breaths or around 10 minutes' use.
On its website, the company says the air is, "For you to enjoy at home, at work, or whilst traveling".
The company's CEO Danny Wurr told the Swiss online newspaper that people in Switzerland may feel "bewildered" by the concept of bottled air "as they can already breathe nice clean fresh air just by opening the door".
He said, "This product is for a population who live with terrible pollution every day, a pollution that may shorten their lives and cause debilitating health problems," said Wurr.
The canned air seller said that one container of Swiss air will not solve their pollution problems but it is pleasant to be able to breathe clean fresh air, even for a short while.
