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Post by Lexica on May 27, 2024 19:02:52 GMT
I had an Instacart delivery from Costco yesterday since my knee is still quite sore and I knew I would not do well walking all over a store the size of Costco, even with my knee brace on. I was very disappointed to see that Costco is now packaging their rotisserie chickens in a bag instead of the sturdy plastic container that it has always come in. I understand that it is probably cheaper and better for the environment, I suppose, but I don’t like it.
I usually take a few slices off the chicken for my dinner as soon as I put the refrigerator and freezer items away. It is so handy to just remove the clear top part to carve a bit for my meal. I get a message as to when the delivery will be on my porch so I go ahead and get the rest of my dinner ready and waiting for those few slices of chicken. Then after dinner, I separate the chicken from the bone while it is still warm because it is so much easier to do at that point.
Trying to cut a bit off the breast while it was in the bag was difficult and messy. And when I take the chicken off the bone, I usually use the lid for the meat and keep the bones in the bottom part of the plastic container. It just makes the process easier. I had to get a couple of bowls out to process it now. Yeah, not the biggest issue, but it was annoying.
Are all the stores switching to bags? Has your Costco switched?
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Post by chaosisapony on May 27, 2024 19:10:15 GMT
My Costco has the bags now, yes. That is how all of the other grocery stores in my area do their chickens and I hate it. It's messy, there's way more condensation and just overall it's not nearly as convenient. I've never actually tried my Costco's chicken though since every time I have wanted one they are completely sold out.  |
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Post by Lurkingpea on May 27, 2024 19:12:44 GMT
I believe they are all switching. I don't like it from a consumer standpoint for many of the reasons you listed. It also takes longer for the people in the packaging department, but I think they will get faster. I felt bad for them last time I was there because they were struggling with packaging and there was a line of customers waiting.
I do wonder if it is better from an environmental standpoint. I can't recycle the bags but I could the containers.
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Post by katlady on May 27, 2024 19:20:50 GMT
We haven’t bought a Costco chicken in awhile, but at the other grocery stores they all use the plastic bags now. It is a little bit messier, but what can we do? I generally don’t like to buy a whole chicken because of the mess.
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Post by katlady on May 27, 2024 19:22:55 GMT
I do wonder if it is better from an environmental standpoint. I can't recycle the bags but I could the containers. The bags use less plastic to make. ETA - and not every trash company recycles all hard plastics. |
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Post by Lexica on May 27, 2024 19:24:49 GMT
I believe they are all switching. I don't like it from a consumer standpoint for many of the reasons you listed. It also takes longer for the people in the packaging department, but I think they will get faster. I felt bad for them last time I was there because they were struggling with packaging and there was a line of customers waiting. I do wonder if it is better from an environmental standpoint. I can't recycle the bags but I could the containers. Yes! I cannot recycle the bags here in Oregon either. In California, we recycled so many more types of materials than they will accept here. When I first moved in, I was putting the recycle bin out every trash day. Then I learned they only pick up recycling every other week. I was wondering how I was going to make it with an every other week schedule. Then when they sent me the list of what they recycle, I understood why they only pick it up twice a month. They accept so few types of materials! So when looking at the list, yeah I can see why they do it. It is basically cardboard and plastic milk jugs. I was used to checking for the number in the triangle to determine whether or not I could recycle it and here, it has to be a certain size of container. No small plastic items. But I feel so guilty throwing so much plastic in the regular trash here. |
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Post by calgaryscrapper on May 27, 2024 19:57:30 GMT
Try calling it going to the store and ask if they have some containers on hand so you can use them at home. Send an e-mail in to Costco with your concerns. Our Costco went from selling cashews in re-cyclable plastic containers to crinkly bags. I called the store and e-mailed Costco. Are the bags the chickens come in recyclable?
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twinsmomfla99
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,119 
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Post by twinsmomfla99 on May 27, 2024 19:59:17 GMT
We don't have a Costco close enough to get the chicken, but all of our local grocery stores are using the bags except Sam's Club. I bought one there yesterday in the plastic container.
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Post by busy on May 27, 2024 21:06:21 GMT
I can't recycle the bags but I could the containers. Plastic recycling is basically a lie. It's better to reduce the amount of single-use plastic as much as possible. |
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Post by Basket1lady on May 27, 2024 21:08:17 GMT
I bought a chicken at the Maple Gove, MN, Costco last week in the plastic container. But I’ve heard that the plastic bags are coming and they are just using up their current supply of plastic containers.
I agree that the plastic containers are more convenient, but it’s so much less plastic that I can’t be mad. It would be easy to use a food storage container and pop the rotisserie chicken into that. Then it can be used time and again.
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Post by Scrapper100 on May 27, 2024 21:10:58 GMT
I heard they did this but I haven't bought one in a while. They also switched nuts to bags instead of the containers with the screw top. I saved my last jar for them but obviously that doesn't work with the chickens. I forgot to look to see if Sam's had changed them over as they haven't changed the nuts yet. I usually pop them in the oven so I put them in a roaster pan and then put that in the fridge and slice off of that until it is gone. I can't imagine trying to cut it while still in the bag and yes getting a cutting board and such dirty to is a pain. Just saw the post above that Sam's still has the containers.  Not that that will help you. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 27, 2024 21:24:44 GMT
I knew it was coming months ago because there was something written about it in the Costco Connection magazine they put out. They are working on changing a lot of the items sold in hard plastic containers over to bags to cut down on plastic waste, including the chickens, candy, nuts and other things. The switch hasn’t happened yet at the one I usually go to but I know it will come sooner or later.
I think I would probably just transfer the whole thing into a bowl when I get home so I could cut off the part I want right away, then flop the whole thing out onto one of those flexible cutting boards to debone and use that same bowl to hold the meat. Scrape all the bones and skin off of the cutting mat into the trash, and stick the cutting board straight into the dishwasher. Honestly though, I’ve just been skipping buying the whole roast chickens lately and buying the three pound pack of deboned rotisserie breast meat, that way the messy part is already done for me.
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Post by Karene on May 27, 2024 21:29:28 GMT
They have been selling the rotisserie chicken at my Ontario Costcos in the plastic bag for a while now. It is harder to cut off a piece, so I just put it right into the container I'm going to store it in and cut pieces off from there.
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Post by littlemama on May 27, 2024 21:41:46 GMT
It was announced month or 2 ago. I do the same as you, use the container for the bones and scraps. How does the bag work with all the liquid that was in the container? Id be worried about leakage
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Post by katlady on May 27, 2024 21:47:59 GMT
How does the bag work with all the liquid that was in the container? Id be worried about leakage Just don't tilt it. The hard plastic containers would leak too if you tilt them, ask me how I know.  Now, I do miss the chocolate covered raisins being in the plastic jars. I would save the jars and reuse them. |
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Post by compeateropeator on May 27, 2024 21:51:11 GMT
I haven’t got one in a bit so I have not noticed. While I understand, a very small amount of the recycling collected is actually truly recycled so I think cutting down on plastics where ever possible is worth while. I also could not recycle the black plastic, but that might have changed. I have not checked lately.
I always found that the chicken felt too greasy is I left it in the container. So I typically cut off what I want to immediately eat and then debone it and put it my own glass containers. IMO it gets it out of sitting in all the grease.
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Post by fredfreddy44 on May 27, 2024 22:05:52 GMT
To keep the price $4.99, they had to cut costs somewhere.
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,891
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on May 27, 2024 22:12:27 GMT
I am NOT a fan of the bag. It doesn't sit well in the car on the way home. In the fridge, I can't stack stuff on top of it. I can't use the container as a mini green house for sprouting seeds. It sucks.
BUT I get why- shipping 1,000 bags takes WAYYYYY less space than shipping 1,000 plastic boxes. Most places don't have recycling abilities for the bags OR the boxes so that's a wash other than that space it takes up.
I reuse ALLLL the plastic containers from nuts, pub mix, peanut butter pretzels, sea salt caramel chocolates, etc. Love me some screw up containers! I have 3 going to my classroom tomorrow so I can use the goo gone I have there to pull the labels. They'll be repurposed in my classroom for something.
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Post by AussieMeg on May 27, 2024 22:43:26 GMT
Our supermarkets have always used ziplock bags for roast chickens. Yes, it's awkward, but I was used to it..... until Costco came along with their fancy useful containers!  I much prefer the containers that the Costco roast chickens come in, and so far they haven't changed the packaging here. When I get one that's in a bag, I take the chicken out of the bag and put it on a plate. I then set up my little FOGO bin (food organics & garden organics that I use for food scraps), and a Tupperware container. The chicken goes into the Tupperware then straight into the fridge, and the bones and yucky bits of the chicken go straight into the FOGO bin as I pull it apart. It's quite a neat little streamlined process. The only difference when I get a Costco chicken, is that I don't need to use a plate to put it on. (Sometimes I pour the juices out of the bag into my dog's bowl for a treat. He loves it!) |
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Post by allison1954 on May 27, 2024 23:29:03 GMT
The problem I had was the chicken was so tender I couldn’t stick a fork in it and get it out of the bag!!!
It kept falling apart
I ended up having to cut the bag down, it was a mess!
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Post by crazy4scraps on May 27, 2024 23:35:59 GMT
I am NOT a fan of the bag. It doesn't sit well in the car on the way home. In the fridge, I can't stack stuff on top of it. I can't use the container as a mini green house for sprouting seeds. It sucks. BUT I get why- shipping 1,000 bags takes WAYYYYY less space than shipping 1,000 plastic boxes. Most places don't have recycling abilities for the bags OR the boxes so that's a wash other than that space it takes up. I reuse ALLLL the plastic containers from nuts, pub mix, peanut butter pretzels, sea salt caramel chocolates, etc. Love me some screw up containers! I have 3 going to my classroom tomorrow so I can use the goo gone I have there to pull the labels. They'll be repurposed in my classroom for something. I love this so much! Years ago Target sold a store brand tropical trail mix that my mom liked and it came in a big clear plastic jar with silver lids. I kept so many of those to repurpose for my scrap room to hold buttons, ribbon scraps that were too short to keep on a roll, silk flowers, paper flowers, rolls of bakery twine, so many things! At one point they changed the jars to a different type that I didn’t like so much, boo. Thankfully I had as many as I needed. |
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,891
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on May 27, 2024 23:43:05 GMT
Our supermarkets have always used ziplock bags for roast chickens. Yes, it's awkward, but I was used to it..... until Costco came along with their fancy useful containers!  I much prefer the containers that the Costco roast chickens come in, and so far they haven't changed the packaging here. When I get one that's in a bag, I take the chicken out of the bag and put it on a plate. I then set up my little FOGO bin (food organics & garden organics that I use for food scraps), and a Tupperware container. The chicken goes into the Tupperware then straight into the fridge, and the bones and yucky bits of the chicken go straight into the FOGO bin as I pull it apart. It's quite a neat little streamlined process. The only difference when I get a Costco chicken, is that I don't need to use a plate to put it on. (Sometimes I pour the juices out of the bag into my dog's bowl for a treat. He loves it!) You don’t keep all the parts you don’t eat to make stock? We put it all in a gallon ziplock and into the freezer. When the bag is full we add chunked up veggies and the chicken bits to a big stock pot with water and cook all day. |
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Post by melanieg on May 27, 2024 23:49:02 GMT
They changed to the bags here.....oh gosh almost a year ago? Last fall for sure.
I do not prefer them.
I made a comment to one of the cashiers and she said they love the bags bc they are cleaner - no steam or juices dripping out.
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paget
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,121
Jun 25, 2014 21:16:39 GMT
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Post by paget on May 28, 2024 0:09:44 GMT
My first thought when I saw the bag was darn! But after getting a couple in the bag it truly doesn’t matter to me and I might even like it more. I definitely like less plastic used.
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Post by Lexica on May 28, 2024 1:10:54 GMT
Our supermarkets have always used ziplock bags for roast chickens. Yes, it's awkward, but I was used to it..... until Costco came along with their fancy useful containers! I much prefer the containers that the Costco roast chickens come in, and so far they haven't changed the packaging here. When I get one that's in a bag, I take the chicken out of the bag and put it on a plate. I then set up my little FOGO bin (food organics & garden organics that I use for food scraps), and a Tupperware container. The chicken goes into the Tupperware then straight into the fridge, and the bones and yucky bits of the chicken go straight into the FOGO bin as I pull it apart. It's quite a neat little streamlined process. The only difference when I get a Costco chicken, is that I don't need to use a plate to put it on. (Sometimes I pour the juices out of the bag into my dog's bowl for a treat. He loves it!) You don’t keep all the parts you don’t eat to make stock? We put it all in a gallon ziplock and into the freezer. When the bag is full we add chunked up veggies and the chicken bits to a big stock pot with water and cook all day. I know! A few people have mentioned to me that they throw the carcass out. My dad was very big on using up every usable part of the rotisserie chicken so I just naturally fell into the same habits. I even have a baggie in my freezer for all the ugly bits of certain vegetables to put in the stock. The top and bottom of onions, minus the brown outer skin, celery leafy bits, and the ends of carrots with just the very end darker part cut off. These all go into the pot with my carcass and you get basically free chicken stock. Of course those get trashed afterwards, but by then, all the goodness has been transferred to your stock pot. |
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seaexplore
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,891
Apr 25, 2015 23:57:30 GMT
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Post by seaexplore on May 28, 2024 1:48:10 GMT
You don’t keep all the parts you don’t eat to make stock? We put it all in a gallon ziplock and into the freezer. When the bag is full we add chunked up veggies and the chicken bits to a big stock pot with water and cook all day. I know! A few people have mentioned to me that they throw the carcass out. My dad was very big on using up every usable part of the rotisserie chicken so I just naturally fell into the same habits. I even have a baggie in my freezer for all the ugly bits of certain vegetables to put in the stock. The top and bottom of onions, minus the brown outer skin, celery leafy bits, and the ends of carrots with just the very end darker part cut off. These all go into the pot with my carcass and you get basically free chicken stock. Of course those get trashed afterwards, but by then, all the goodness has been transferred to your stock pot. Yep. Sooooo yummy too! I like to sip it. |
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Post by Scrapper100 on May 28, 2024 1:49:53 GMT
Oh I heard about using them for a mini garden and meant to save some but never remembered.
I also liked those jars with the silver lids from target - I also saved one for bringing little snacks like trail mix upstairs.
If I get a chicken from Sam’s I’m going to have to remember to save it. Right now we are working our way through our freezer but I am sure one of these days I will want an easy dinner.
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Post by AussieMeg on May 28, 2024 5:25:48 GMT
You don’t keep all the parts you don’t eat to make stock? We put it all in a gallon ziplock and into the freezer. When the bag is full we add chunked up veggies and the chicken bits to a big stock pot with water and cook all day. No, I make my chicken stock in the Thermomix - it's actually a paste that you then add to water when you need stock. It uses chicken thigh fillets, a variety of white root vegetables and mixed herbs. |
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Post by busy on May 28, 2024 6:21:15 GMT
I only make stock from uncooked bones (and leftover raw vegetables that I keep in the freezer until I next make stock). I don't think the flavor is nearly as good when using already cooked bones.
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peppermintpatty
Pearl Clutcher
Refupea #1345
Posts: 3,998
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Post by peppermintpatty on May 28, 2024 11:41:47 GMT
Mine is still using the plastic container. We just bought one on Friday.
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Not that that will help you. 
I much prefer the containers that the Costco roast chickens come in, and so far they haven't changed the packaging here. 
I much prefer the containers that the Costco roast chickens come in, and so far they haven't changed the packaging here. 
