Welcome to September's edition of Sustainable Halls

Thanks for checking out your first Halls Life Sustainability article! We’ll be bringing you monthly sustainability updates and info to tie in with our monthly themes.

September’s theme is ‘Starting Sustainably’ so we’ll be talking about the very first things you can do in your halls to make life a little more sustainable. We’ll be talking everything from water to waste, bikes to buying sustainably. 

What can I do in my flat? 💚

The first place to start is right at home. The energy, water and heat we all use contributes to climate change, so minimising the usage of these is a great first step. You might not have to pay bills, but every bit of wastage is a big cost to the planet. Here are some quick tips to start your sustainability journey: 

Water 💧:

• Turn the tap off while brushing your teeth! 

• Time how long you spend in the shower – spending 5 minutes less in the shower saves 45 litres of water. Do this over the course of a year, and you’d save enough water to fill over 9 fire engines! 

• When washing up, use a bowl and don’t leave the tap running. 

Energy ⚡:

• Turn off your electronic devices when you go out. Even in standby, a laptop can use up to 30W of power, which is more than all the lights in your room combined! 

• Turn the lights off! Modern LED bulbs might be efficient, but efficiency doesn’t matter when energy is being wasted! 

• Don’t forget devices in shared spaces! Does the TV really need to stay on if no one’s in the kitchen? 

Washing 🧺:

• Washing your laundry is something which you may not have needed to do yet, so hit the ground running with these tips! 

• Make sure to do fewer full loads of laundry, rather than lots of little ones. This will not only save you money, but it will minimise water and energy usage too! 

• Clothes dryers are convenient, but they’re an added cost. They also use a huge amount of energy, plus they cause clothes to degrade faster. You could use a clothes airer instead but always remember to keep the room ventilated. Remember, electric/heated clothes airers are not permitted in Halls and cannot be used in the way of fire exits e.g. your corridor!

Waste and Recycling 🥫: 

You might have noticed you have a few different bins in your kitchen to what you may be used to. If you’re confused about what goes in each bin, take a look at the recycling poster on your kitchen wall. Don’t have a poster? Here’s a reminder of what goes where: 

Buying with Sustainability in mind 🛒

First things first – we know being sustainable sometimes isn’t cheap. Low cost and high quality rarely go hand in hand, so trying to buy with sustainability in mind can be tricky on a budget. Here are a few suggestions to get you started: 

• Think about the long term – imagine how much you’ll spend on sandwich bags, cotton pads, kitchen paper, and other single-use items over the course of your time at university. Try to work it out, and you might find that the cost of a reusable replacement is similar, or even less, than continually buying single-use items. 

• Think about your flatmates – kitchen items are expensive, but living in a flat has its advantages. See if there’s something your flatmate has which you don’t, such as cookware, utensils, etc. Ask them if you can borrow it when they’re not using it (just make sure you wash things up once you’ve used them!) 

• Think about your wardrobe – textile production contributes significantly to climate change. Replace regular Shein, ASOS and Boohoo purchases with trips to local vintage stores and charity shops. Bold Street is a great place to start, and you can find quality clothes at great prices! It’s a great way to explore the city too. The Guild hosts regular swap shops as well (the first one coming up is on Black Friday, click here for more info) so donate clothes you no longer wear and swap your way to a new wardrobe. 

Getting around 🚎

Luckily for those of you living in city halls a lot of your nearest lecture theatres and supermarkets will be within walking distance. However, we’ve still got you covered if you live further out or want to explore more of Liverpool. 

There are loads of ways to get around quickly and cheaply, so don’t miss out on all the fantastic parks, restaurants, and other venues around Merseyside. 

Bus Passes 🚌:

• The Arriva bus pass, available at a steep discount at the Guild shop, is a great place to start. If you live in Greenbank, it’s the best and most cost-effective way to go to campus and back. The bus pass can also take you to Allerton, Smithdown, Croxteth, and all the way home again. It’s your ticket to a great day out!  

Bikes 🚲:

• Cycling is an environmentally friendly way to get around Liverpool and a great way to exercise. Hire a LivCycle bike from the Guild for a full academic year for just £60 or one semester for £40 (plus a £50 refundable deposit).  All bikes come with a very sturdy D-lock and are serviced regularly by our trained mechanics at the Bikiosk. Visit the Guild’s website to learn more and buy your hire! 

• If you’re concerned about getting started, why not join one of our Halls’ Exclusive bike rides? These take place every fortnight, starting on the 2nd October. These are a great way to get comfortable riding around the city and meet new people. All equipment is provided!
• Living at Greenbank? Pop into your weekly Monday workshop for free bike repairs and to find out more about bike hire!

It’s never too early to start thinking about sustainability during your time at university. Starting good habits from day one will help you form habits to help you save both money and the planet in the long term! 

Next steps for your sustainability journey in HALLS: 

H - Help out and get to know the Guild's fantastic gardening volunteer team at our Gardening with the Guild Harvest Cooking session. Sign up here.  

A - Activities on offer vary from bike rides to plant pot painting! Keep an eye on the Give it a Go page for events coming up. Check out the Halls Exclusive Sewing Crash Course coming up!

L - Listen to My World is Our World webinar by SOS-UK to learn about how everyone is connected to sustainability. 

L - Learn about Sustainability at the University of Liverpool by reading 'The new student's guide to sustainability at Liverpool'

S - Share with us what steps you're going to take to be more sustainable in Halls- tag us in your Instagram stories @livunihalls

If you want any more information about anything in this article, contact Ollie at the Guild’s sustainability team (LGsustainability@liverpool.ac.uk).

Don't miss out on next month's Sustainable Halls Life article where we'll be talking about black sustainability pioneers. See you there!