A switch from rigid to flexible plastic packaging for Costco's famed rotisserie chicken is expected to reduce the company's plastic consumption by 17 million pounds annually.
Costco, the club store operator, said the Kirkland Signature brand of seasoned rotisserie chicken is now in plastic bags, a move that replaces clamshell containers.
"The bag also takes less space to transport; one pallet of the new bags is equivalent to five pallets of old packaging, so Costco can remove 1,000 of its freight trucks from the road each year," the company said in the June issue of the Costco Connection magazine. "The use of fewer transportation vehicles will eliminate over 4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually."
Costco, famous for selling items in bulk, charges $4.99 for the 3-pound cooked chicken as a way go get people to come into the company's stores. The company reportedly sold 137 million rotisserie chickens in fiscal year 2023.