Million-dollar idea plucked from thin air

TOOWOOMBA residents laughed at the idea of buying air in a can when it was introduced at Picnic Point 60 years ago.

TOOWOOMBA residents laughed at the idea of buying air in a can when it was introduced at Picnic Point 60 years ago.

But now air-farming could soon be worth millions.

A pair of Australian entrepreneurs has begun capturing clean air from around the country and selling it to heavily polluted China.

The idea of buying air seems ridiculous to us who take breathing fresh air for granted but for those living in the polluted world, it's a luxury.

Back in the days when you could buy fresh Picnic Point Mountain Air, people bought the tins as a joke.

Picnic Point air in a can

According to history site Remember Toowoomba When the hilarious instructions read, "Enclose yourself in a room. Close all the windows and doors. Open the can and enjoy the aroma of clean mountain air."

Toowoomba residents were quick to comment on the site's Facebook post with people sharing their memories of buying Mountain Air.

Marilyn Carstens still has one of the cans.

"I got it from a friends and it's unopened from about 1965 I think," she said.

Jill Covington posted some fresh air to friends, "I actually posted some on to friends in New Zealand."

Carol O'Reilly remembered the tins well, "I always thought it was funny. They sold heaps."

Now, Clean and Green Air sells cans of air for $20 and each contains about 130 breaths.

The air is pumped into disposable cans marketed as Pure Gold-Coast Air, Bondi Beach, Blue Mountains, Tassie and Yarra Valley Air.

They soon plan to include private labels for wineries like The Barossa and Margaret River.

With the air being sourced from all over Australia, each can has a different smell, beach cans smell salty while eucalyptus can be smelt from the mountain air cans.

Originally published as Million-dollar idea plucked from thin air