Swap don’t shop this Black Friday

Liverpool Guild of Students is home to its very own Swap Shop! I chatted to Sustainability manager Lizzie Larner to get the low down on the Swap Shop ahead of Black Friday.

For those who don’t know, what is the Swap Shop?

The swap shop is a place for anyone and everyone to bring the clothes, shoes and accessories they no longer wear and swap them for something different. You’ll receive a token for each item you donate and that token can be used to claim any other item in the swap shop.

How has the first year at the Swap Shop gone?

Our first year running the swap shop more regularly went really positively. 358 items were donated and 351 were swapped, this was ~100 more items swapped than in previous one-off swap shops. We’re hoping with its new location, we’ll be able to swap even more items this year!

Are you excited to have moved to a brand new location?

Yes, really excited! Being based in Activity Space 10 means we can really make the space our own and add more personality to it as well as ensuring more consistent running of the swap shop.

Why do you think initiatives like the Swap Shop are so important during periods like Black Friday?

The clothing industry has a massive impact on the climate. It consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping industries combined and is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions.  Promotion of fast fashion and cheap deals during Black Friday only exacerbates the problem of overconsumption. We appreciate that people will want to get a good deal but it’s also important to think about the impact of the new items you buy. Swapping saves perfectly good items from being thrown away and you might just find your new favourite item too.

How can people get involved?

To get involved in the swap shop, head to Activity Space 10 in the Guild Basement (follow the floor signs!) and have a browse. You can donate items and get tokens there or you can also donate your items at Guild reception. We’re open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 11am – 3pm throughout term time. We’re also looking to host some repair workshops there next Semester so keep an eye out on the Guild website for them too!

Are there any opportunities to volunteer with the Swap Shop?

We’re always looking for volunteers to help out at the swap shop. If you have a couple of hours to spare and want to help out you can sign up to be a volunteer here on the Guild website. Shifts run from 11am – 1pm or 1pm – 3pm and you can sign up to as many as you want! If you volunteer for 7+ hours, you’ll be eligible for recognition through the Liverpool Advantage Award.

If you want any further information, please do get in touch with the Sustainability Team on lgsustainability@liverpool.ac.uk.

For more on campus news, please click here: https://www.liverpoolguildstudentmedia.co.uk/category/on-campus/