Earth Day (which is today, duh) is all about guilt, so here are some quick statistics for you: the average American uses 70 gallons of water in a 10-minute shower, but 34% of people polled think that a 10-minute shower only wastes 10 gallons of water. A bit of a disconnect there. (And in case you were wondering, 70 gallons is 1,120 eight ounce bottles of water.)

The Body Shop, one of the original eco-conscious brands, has issued the “Earth Lovers Three-Minute Shower Challenge” just in time for Earth Day. Yes, they want you to commit to taking three-minute showers. To help time yourself, the company suggests playing a three-minute song and trying to finish by the end. Or, you could always count to 180 slowly.

Could you do this? I often shower twice a day, sometimes three times if I work out. I know, I know. Hundreds of gallons of water gone. By the time you shampoo, condition, hair mask, wash, shave, and daydream, ten minutes are gone easily. Oh, and I also crank the water as hot as it will go. I’m not proud of this; just trying to highlight how easy it is to waste resources without even thinking about it.

This challenge coincides with the launch of the Body Shop’s new 100% biodegradable Shower Gels for Earth Lovers. They’re infused with herb and fruit extracts and contain Community Fair Trade organic aloe vera from Guatemala. Nothing to feel guilty about there.


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Comments [2]

I live in an Australian city that suffered a long, severe drought (and we were much better off than some rural areas where drinking water had to be trucked in).

It’s easy to save lots of water – switching to an inexpensive water conserving shower head is the first thing you should do and, despite urban legend to the contrary, you really don’t notice the difference. You can buy a simple device which allows you to shut off the water flow while you are waiting for shampoos to lather and conditioners to work – turn it back and the flow continues at the same rate and temperature as before.

To put the three minute shower in perspective, I went on a tour of a submarine conducted by a young woman officer – the time limit for showers was a mere 45 seconds! I could never complain about taking shorter showers after hearing that!

As someone who is perpetually and shamefully late on many occasions, I have mastered the four minute shower. I wonder if I could trim to three? I bet I could. And being that my hair is thick, I always turn off the water while I shampoo. Feels good to know I’m doing my part :)