Unilever to crowdsource for ‘sustainable shower of the future’

Unilever is turning to crowdsourcing in its bid to help develop the world's first commercially viable shower of the future that can operate with a sustainable level of water use.


In-home use is responsible for a significant proportion of the carbon footprint of shower products and this latest initiative is designed to help Unilever take increased responsibility for the way in which its brands are consumed.

According to the company’s water & innovation brand director Michiel Leijnse, the showering process hasn’t changed in decades.

“It consumes substantial amounts water, requires a significant amount of energy to heat that water and it isn’t great for the skin,” he pointed out.

“As part of our commitment to making sustainable living commonplace, we’d like to reinvent the shower in a way that reduces its environmental impact while enhancing the user experience.”

Unilever feels that the global nature of crowdsourcing has the potential to deliver a coherent solution to a complex challenge and will facilitate the initiative through its open creativity platform.

The move comes after the announcement of a partnership between Unilever and co-creation community eYeka to further tap into this platform across Asia-Pacific, Middle East, Russia and South Africa.

Through the partnership, eYeka’s online community of over 250,000 creators will have the chance to develop ideas for a number of familiar Unilever brands.

Maxine Perella

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