As the eco-committed seek out ways to reduce usage of resources, they have two options: either to amend their own habits or to invest in clever design solutions.

When it comes to showering, the behavioural change option is “the navy shower”, practised aboard battleships and believed to use just 11 litres of water in comparison to the 230 litres used during a standard shower. It works in three stages. First, wet the body all over. Then turn off the water and soap up. Finally rinse away the suds and dirt.

The design-led option is an aerating fitting such as the Ecocamel showerhead, which cleverly mixes air into the flow and so reduces the amount of water required. Independent research by the UK’s Liverpool John Moores University suggests that the water’s rate of flow is cut nearly in half, from 12 litres per minute with a conventional showerhead to 6.7 litres per minute with the Ecocamel. It also says that this reduction is unnoticeable to the user, which certainly seemed to be the case when Trendspotter’s testers tried it out. The £24.95 fitting, one of several aerating systems available on the market, is available from www.ecocamel.co.uk.