Spot On Green: Give a Second Life to the Less Desired Products

Loyal customers of Spot On might have noticed our exciting new product category, Spot On Green! For those who are new to this very special collection, we're here to give you all the details and show you how purchasing these discounted products can benefit you and the environment!

In Hong Kong, retailers strive to offer the freshest and highest quality goods on their shelves. But did you know that behind these overflowing displays, a staggering amount of waste is generated? 

According to research by Feeding Hong Kong, supermarkets in our city discard a shocking 29 tonnes of edible food every day. And mind you, this number only takes food into account - the amount of wasted non-food items is even harder to estimate. But are these items that are trashed really worthless?

Safe and Usable - Expired Goods are SO Close to Perfection!

Let's talk about the two types of dates you often see on product packaging - "Best Before Date" is commonly found on food, while "Expiry Date" is often seen on both food and daily products.

The Best Before Date is a guideline set by manufacturers simply to ensure peak quality - It doesn't mean that the food will be unsafe to consume after this date! In fact, the Centre for Food Safety in Hong Kong actually allows retailers to sell food past its Best Before Date. To reduce food waste and encourage our customers to give these items a second chance, Spot On is offering an incredible discount off items under our Green Choice section! If you're open to trying these slightly older but still safe-to-eat products and want to enjoy food from around the globe at super affordable prices, make sure to bookmark our Spot On Green page and check for monthly bargains!

While food past its Expiry Date is prohibited on the market, it’s legal to sell non-food items as they are still safely usable as long as their texture, smell, and colour remain unchanged. If the product is just newly expired, you normally won’t notice any difference. But after 3-6 months, depending on the product itself, the effectiveness might decrease over time. For instance, your cleaning products may lose part of their disinfecting power. However, they can still serve a less noble purpose! For example, you may repurpose your long-expired facial cream as a hand cream or body lotion, and expired, dried-out antibacterial wet wipes can be used as table wipes. Don't let the expiration dates deter you from breathing new lives into these items!

I personally must confess that I make occasional impulse purchases, and some of the non-expired products would remain unopened even after their expiry dates at home. (Yes I’m sorry, but haven’t we all been there?!). I would still use these products after they expired, but for those of you who are just like me, we may as well just go straight to purchasing short-dated or expired products. Not only does this practice save us money, but it also helps divert these goodies from the landfills - that’s a win-win situation!

Look Beyond the Looks

In a world that places great importance on perfection, are you willing to purchase items with slight defects? It’s 2024, numerous goods travel from all over the world, reaching their destinations via various transportation methods. Even though the products are wrapped and packed with great care, collisions are still inevitable during these journeys, resulting in minor defects. Even if retailers put these products on shelves, they would often end up in the trash bin.

But what if we told you that despite their external imperfections, the insides of these items are intact and their qualities remain unaffected - Plus we are offering them at a discounted price? Do you find these ‘defective items’ more appealing? Our team at Spot On carefully inspects all received items, separating those with damaged packaging from those that are completely damaged. We don't sell the latter ones, but the first type of products have found their way to Spot On Green, where they can be purchased at discounted prices and given a second chance to fulfil their purpose!

Spot On's Commitment to Social Responsibility

By offering huge discounts off these items that, initially, may not be customers’ first choice, not only are we providing more affordable options to reach out to different customers, but we are also demonstrating our commitment to social responsibilities. These items could easily turn to waste, but your willingness to purchase them will help reduce waste and relieve the burden on Mother Earth. In addition to our sales efforts, Spot On also donates items to social organisations like the Christian Family Service Centre and Elderly Community Centres to support those who are in need.

We wholeheartedly ask for your support in these green initiatives as we work together towards building a sustainable future!

Spot On, a one-stop online retailer for daily goods with over 1,000 products! Free delivery on orders over $250!