Ella can hardly contain her excitement. Her parents have been on holiday in one of the most glamorous places in Italy, Lake Como, and promised to bring her back a special present. "Here you are, darling," says her mother, handing her a can. What can be inside it? The answer is: air.

The cans are produced by a company called Italy Communica. "We wanted to create a reminder that people can easily take home in their suitcases," says one of its consultants, Davide Abagnale.¹

He believes that it will particularly appeal to American tourists, who have arrived in increasing numbers since George ClooneyThe actor first found fame in the TV series ER. His wife, Amal, is a British-Lebanese human rights lawyer. bought a villa on Como. The area had a record 5.6 million visitors in 2023.²

One local said that the canned air made him feel ashamed. Another said:  "I think it's better to breathe the actual air of Como. Buying it doesn't bring the same satisfaction."  

Selling air is not something new. In Naples after the end of World War Two, empty cans left by American troops were resealed and sold as souvenirs.

The idea may have come from the SurrealistA movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind. artist Marcel Duchamp. In 1919 he gave two American friends a small glass ampouleA small, sealed bottle. he had bought in a pharmacy and labelled "Air de Paris". In 2016 one of 12 copies was sold at auction for £625,000. 

Canned air is a popular commodity in China, where an entrepreneurA person who sets up their own business. called Chen Guangbiao started selling it in 2012. In Japan you can buy a can from Mount FujiAn active volcano in Japan. It is considered a sacred mountain. for £45.³

People have paid huge amounts of money for other things that might be considered worthless. Yesterday a slice of the late Queen's wedding cake was auctioned for £2,200.

On eBay in 2004, a cane said to have a ghost attached went for £34,000. More recently the fashion brand Jil Sander produced a paper bag priced at £223.

Items that are made of expensive materials but are basically pointless have included a PG Tips teabag encrusted with diamonds for £5,500 and gold-leaf toilet paper for £950,000 per roll.

All this raises big questions about how we assign value to things. Looked at objectively, a £50 note is just a piece of paper: it is only worth £50 because people agree that it is.

Paintings can sell for millions of pounds not because the canvas and paint cost the artist a lot of money, but because people like looking at them.

Is this morally wrong?

Yes: Getting people to spend money on something pointless is a shameful waste of resources and insulting to poor people. It could only be justified by giving the money to charity.

No: Nobody has to buy the cans unless they want to - you could get a can and fill it with air yourself. The value of something is what people are prepared to pay for it, even if the price is crazy.  

Or... The world cannot sustain the huge number of tourists going to places like Lake Como, so they deserve to be cheated. Responsible people who care about their carbon footprint will stay at home.