The Costco Rotisserie Chicken Change That Has Fans Riled Up
The Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken needs no introduction. For years, this $5 fully cooked, ready-to-eat bird has been a fan-favorite amongst shoppers who know they can pick one at up at the Costco meat section for quick and easy meals. The lifelong rotisserie chicken heads could probably spot the popular grocery item, encased in the equally iconic containers they come in from a mile away. Well, as it seems, it just might be time for them and every other shopper at Costco to start paying closer attention because a brand new change is supposedly being made by the warehouse grocery store, and it's happening to the packaging of the world's favorite budget bird.
Up until now, the rotisserie chickens at Costco have been encased in hard plastic take-home containers composed of a clear top and a black bottom. But according to a company note shared on Reddit, plastic bags may soon step in as the replacement. This comes on the heels of last year's commitment by the company to create more transparency around the their plastic use and to work on an action-plan to reduce its usage of the material as a whole.
Most food containers in the United States, such as the one used to sell Costco's rotisserie chicken, are not recyclable. The new plastic bags, however, will not be recyclable, either. To move from one plastic to another seems counterintuitive, but it's progress. According to comments on Reddit, the switch to the proposed bags, which are made from BPA-free and food-safe plastic, will result in about 75-percent less plastic usage.
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The original post and photo were deleted on the thread. But we were able to get a glimpse of what these new bags could look like, thanks to a Redditor who shops at Costco Canada, where the packaging change went into effect last year.
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On both sides of North America, the new bags were met with mixed reviews. Many Costco members chimed in with support for the environmentally-friendly benefits of the swap, but not without some skepticism about inconvenience.
"Would be easier to navigate into my car space with other items. If the plastic container gets tilted a little too much to one side or the other, the scalding chicken juice runs all over everything," expressed one commenter. Other feedback suggested if the chicken grease gets on the bag, it could make it harder to seal.
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But the change will be harder to swallow for some shoppers who see it as a contributing factor to a greater quality issue. "One of the grocery stores near me changed their rotisserie chicken packaging from hard plastic containers to plastic bags like this and the taste and quality dropped dramatically. Not sure if it's attributed to the packaging change, but I fear," expressed one concerned commenter. "No more crispy skin though, that’s a bummer, said one Redditor in Canada, suggesting that the poor ventilation in the bags can trap extra moisture inside and turn the chicken soggy during transport.
Generally, though, this change hasn't ruffled feathers to the point where anyone has come forward to denounce their love for the Costco Rotisserie Chicken, but only time will tell. The change to plastic bags has started to hit some Costco locations in the United States and is reported to continue to roll out this April. So until it lands in your local store, you'll know what to look for.
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