Montana Shoppers Are Breaking This Basic Costco Courtesy Rule

If you frequent the Costco in Missoula, Billings, Kalispell, or Bozeman, you know what to expect: traffic jams in the main aisle, someone sprinting for the rotisserie chickens, and a good chance of scoring a free snack on a napkin.

But here’s something that should be obvious, and for some reason isn’t: throw your sample trash out.

Free bites do not equal free passes

The tiny cups, toothpicks, and wrappers? They’re not invisible. Costco employees aren’t wandering around hoping to find half-eaten pizza rolls jammed into a pile of flannel. But that’s exactly what’s been happening.

Mashed reported workers are spotting sample cups shoved into bins, dropped in carts, and stuffed into stacks of clothing. And shoppers are noticing it too. One called the litterbugs “entitled brats.” Hard to argue with that.

No one wants a cheese-stained sweatshirt

Leaving trash on merchandise isn’t just gross. It’s costing the store money. If a cup of sauce leaks into a stack of jeans, they’re done. Unsellable. Wasted. You didn’t just ruin a shirt. You made someone’s job harder and added to the growing pile of trash everyone already complains about.

And if you’re wondering about trash cans, look around. There’s usually one in nearly every aisle at most Montana locations. You walked 30 yards for a meatball. You can walk five more to toss a cup.

Respect the space

Montanans like to think we’re not jerks in public. So let’s not start at Costco.

Take the sample. Enjoy it. Throw the cup away. It’s not difficult. And if it is, maybe it’s time to rethink that membership.