Posted 4 days ago
Thu 05 Feb, 2026 10:02 AM
If you hadn’t heard already, it’s formals season! Hopefully you’ve grabbed your ticket by now, but if you haven't, this article about how we keep them sustainable might just be what you need to convince you.
Food
Your Hall's Formal is catered by the University’s in-house catering team, Hospitality Liverpool. By keeping catering in-house, we can not only be sure of the quality and reliability of the service, but we also minimise the distance required to transport food from the place it’s cooked to the Mountford Hall. This massively reduces your formal’s carbon footprint, and the fact that Hospitality Liverpool works only with suppliers with strict sustainability credentials means your meal has the minimum impact on the planet possible.
Want to go a step further? The vegan main meal option on offer, a sweet potato and chickpea loaf, has a third of the carbon footprint of the chicken main. Even if you’re a committed carnivore, why not give a vegan alternative a try?
Outfits
Your outfit is probably your main concern right now, but have you considered the different ways you can limit your fast fashion consumption while saving a bit of money? There are lots of ways to do so!
- Guild Swap Shop – the swap shop runs every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11am to 3pm during term time. The swap shop stocks clothes, shoes, and accessories, so bring along your unwanted items and find your formals fit!
- Sustainability Week Repair-a-thon! – If you’ve got your outfit already but it needs a bit of TLC, our repair-a-thon on Thursday 26th February is the place to go! We’ll have our repair expert, Siobhan from Zero Fashion CIC, on hand to fix even the most disastrous wardrobe malfunctions!
- Buy preowned – if you can’t repair or swap yourself a formals outfit, why not check out the many vintage stores and charity shops Liverpool has to offer. Bold Street is always a great place to start!
All the other stuff!
- The candles we use on the tables are all battery powered – we ensure that all the spent batteries are recycled! By the way, did you know you can recycle batteries at Guild and halls receptions?
- We use paper tablecloths which are sustainably sourced, as opposed to plastic ones which use fossil fuels in their production.
- We keep printing to a minimum by using screens for signage and advertising wherever possible.
Lots on offer in February!
While your formal might be your focus, don’t miss out on the dozens of other events taking place this month!
- Student Leaders Conference (SLC) – SLC is taking place from the 9th to the 13th February and is the perfect way to boost your skills wallet for the workplace. If sustainability’s your thing, Climate Action 101 on Tuesday 10th is the session for you!
- Sustainability Week – we’ve got another action-packed week of sustainable activities coming your way from the 23rd to 27th February. In addition to the repair workshop we mentioned above, check out everything else we’ve got coming up:
🪴Plant Pot Painting and Herb Planting Workshop - Monday 23rd February, 11am to 2pm, Stanley Theatre
Come and get artsy at our Plant Pot Painting workshop – bigger and better than ever! We’ll also have snacks and drinks on offer!
📝Writing Nature Workshop - Wednesday 25th February, 11am to 1pm, Gilmour Room
Ever wanted to try out creative writing? You don't need to be an expert to try! Join David Tierney from the Department of English who will guide you as you express yourself through the medium of writing!
🍃Gardening with the Guild: Green Wall Revamp - Wednesday 25th February, 2pm to 4pm, Meet outside Mountford Hall
Help us bring some colour to the Guild's iconic green wall! We'll provide all the equipment, just bring yourselves and wear clothes and shoes you don't mind getting dirty.
🌎Sustainability Fair - Thursday 26th February, 11am to 3pm, Stanley Theatre and Guild Street
The sustainability fair brings together all the University’s research projects, student initiatives and sustainability achievements, alongside charities and volunteering organisation who are all working towards a greener world. Come and say hello!
👕 T-Shirt Tote Bag Printing Workshop - Friday 27th February, 11am to 1pm, Gilmour Room
Bring your unwanted or old t-shirts, and we will show you how to refashion them into tote bags to give them a new wave of life. You'll even get to customise them with your own design with help from the Library's Maker Space team! Make sure to bring a t-shirt to upcycle!
👣 Sustainable Halls Helsby Hill Walk - Friday 27th February, 11am to 5pm, Meet outside Guild reception
Take a trip all the way up the river Mersey to the town of Helsby, home of Helsby Hill! This hill boasts panoramic views of Merseyside on a clear day, and is this trip offers you the chance to see the city of Liverpool from a whole new perspective. Be warned, you'll need strong footwear and plenty of stamina to get to the top!
