Costco Wholesale Corporation — Ethics Grade B+

Costco Wholesale Corporation receives an overall ethics grade of B+ (72/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Retail. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 80
• privacy: 70
• consumer: 75
• environment: 55
• humanRights: 65

Documented incidents (2)

• Plastic packaging volume (low, 2022) — Generates significant plastic waste through bulk packaging. Slow to adopt reusable or refillable packaging systems.
• Kirkland rotisserie chicken sourcing (low, 2021) — Built own poultry operation in Nebraska, raising animal welfare and environmental concerns about industrial farming.

Documented good deeds

• Industry-leading wages and benefits — Starting pay of $17.50/hr with healthcare for part-time workers. Employee retention rate far above industry average.
• Resisted price gouging — Kept hot dog combo at $1.50 and maintained low margins during inflation while competitors raised prices aggressively.