Fresh air is something most of us take for granted. One man is trying to change how we see unpolluted air, taking it from a privilege to a product.
Juan Carlos Alvarado is from Medellín, Columbia, and the brains behind Medellin Air. The city is known as the “City of Eternal Spring,” because of its enjoyable climate all year round. As a young entrepreneur, Alvarado came up with a way to market the area to those not living there.
Selling fresh air is something people have been doing for years. People in polluted countries like China and India have been known to purchase cans and bottles of fresh air, which is where Alvarado got the idea to start his own air-selling business.
“Here we store the air of Medellín, which is special, a jewel. We do not pack pure air but that of the city, as it is. Of course, I make sure that it is of quality,” Alvarado said.
Alvarado claims to make hundreds a day selling fresh air. He allegedly has a special method of capturing the air. He then packages it in small glass bottles that have been thoroughly cleaned so they don’t have any odor.
“I created an efficient device, an air collector, that takes between 15 and 30 minutes to trap the particles to generate that feeling of spring. It is 100% natural,” he said.
The product has taken off in his own country. Each bottle of Medellin Air goes for $5 each and Alvardo claims he sold 77 bottles of air on the first day of his business, with more orders added each day.
Many call what Alvarado is doing a scam but he claims that the business is tougher than it looks. Regardless of your stance, that’s some serious cash for an empty bottle.