Costco has made a significant change by replacing hard-plastic clamshell packaging with plastic food service bags for its popular $4.99 rotisserie chicken, aiming to reduce environmental impact. The shift has brought about praise for its eco-friendly approach, but also criticism from customers over concerns about leaks and storage issues.
In a notable change, Costco has transitioned its popular $4.99 rotisserie chicken from the traditional hard-plastic clamshell packaging to plastic food service bags. This shift, announced in March and now largely implemented, aims to reduce environmental impact. According to the June edition of Costco Connections, the new packaging will save approximately 17 million pounds of plastic annually. Additionally, the compactness of the bags means one pallet of bags equals five pallets of clamshells, potentially removing 1,000 freight trucks from the road each year and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 4,000 metric tons.
Despite the environmental benefits touted by Costco, the new packaging has faced criticism from customers. Complaints include concerns about leaks, difficulties in storing leftovers, and the inconvenience of being unable to easily select the best chickens. Social media has seen users express their dissatisfaction, with some noting that the bags require more handling effort from Costco employees. While plastic bags are common for rotisserie chickens at other retailers like Whole Foods and Walmart, Costco’s switch has sparked considerable debate among its customer base.
