Maltese Consumers Need To Become More Sustainable. This Free Conference Will Show You How To Do That
Standing up for your rights sounds like something everyone would be very willing to do, but things get a little convoluted when you’re not really sure whether you even have a right to do so. Add the raging discussion on sustainable products, and you’ve got yourself one complex topic. That’s where one conference coming to Malta this month hopes to come in and change things.
To mark this year’s World Consumer Rights Day, a conference is being held on Friday 13th March at Naxxar’s Villa Arrigo to let people know where their rights stand beyond the annual appointment.
The conference, aptly named The Sustainable Consumer, will host a number of speeches and talks from some of the biggest Maltese names in the industry.
Aimed at raising awareness on the importance that we as consumers make sustainable purchase decisions, the conference will not only show just how much money disposable products cost (not making them great value for money), but also how essential it is to not consume irreplaceable raw material where possible.
We might sometimes forget just how damaging unrestrained consumerism has become in today’s world, and it is exactly this which has allowed manufacturers and consumers to turn a blind eye to the entire process of not only making a product… but what happens when that product breaks down or becomes obsolete?
That’s where this conference comes in.
Discussing the factors that influence and affect consumers’ buying behaviour, The Sustainable Consumer will tackle the dangers of seductive marketing paired with cultural norms, a precarious pair that leads consumers into replacing old but still fully functional products with new upgraded ones (yes, I’m looking at you and your “definitely necessary” smartphone upgrade).
We sometimes tend to forget that we as consumers have the power to change certain norms, and that it is after all our buying patterns that affect the type of products being manufactured.
And that’s exactly why it’s so vital to be reminded of this power.
Beyond giving information on all of the above, the conference will also share – and discuss – EU proposals on sustainable consumption and the circular economy.
Kicking off the conference will be Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Protection and Public Cleansing Deo Debattista, followed up by Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli.
Throughout the rest of the morning, a series of talks will tackle everything from impulse retail buying and energy labels to how to make environmentally-friendly purchase decisions. Everyone from MEP Alex Agius Saliba to the University of Malta’s Marketing Department Head Dr Emanuel Said will speak.
Other speakers from the European Economic and Social Committee and the Malta Chamber for SMEs will also be present and imparting their own knowledge. The MCCAA Chairperson Helga Pizzuto will be delivering the closing remarks for the day to bring the conference to a close.
And the best of it all is that attendance is completely free of charge!
If you’d like to be a part of The Sustainable Consumer conference, all you need to is register your interest right here.
The conference is being organised by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, the main body that protects Maltese consumers’ rights
Making sure that competition is promoted and enhanced while the consumers’ interests and welfare are safeguarded, the MCCAA is entrusted with the work of the Office for Competition, the Office for Consumer Affairs, the Standards and Metrology Institute, as well as the Technical Regulations Division.
The MCCAA also makes sure that only safe products are placed on the market, with annual efforts made to ensure the withdrawal of products that pose a serious risk to the consumer and to take legal action against operators who placed unsafe products on the market.
Tag someone who’d be interested in attending this conference!
— Due to unforeseen circumstances this event has been postponed. More details will follow. Keep up to date by following their page. —
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