PETA: If Starbucks Doesn't Offer Plant-Based Milk for Free, We'll Glue Ourselves to the Counter!

Recently, two members of PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, staged a protest at a Starbucks store in the United States over the chain's surcharge on plant-based milk, sparking heated discussion online.

On April 21, PETA posted several tweets from its official account about a protest action by two of its members at a Starbucks store. The reason was their dissatisfaction with the company charging an additional 70-80 cents for all plant-based milks, including oat milk, soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk.

In several tweets, PETA tagged Howard Schultz, stating that the protesters were not going anywhere and would remain attached to the Starbucks counter. If Starbucks truly cared about the environment, the group argued, it would stick to its environmental values and eliminate the extra charge for plant-based milk. PETA also noted that when former Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson retired the previous month, Starbucks paid him a $60 million bonus, enough to cover the surcharge on 85,714,285 cups of plant-based milk, proof that the company has sufficient funds not to charge these extra fees.

From the photos attached to the tweets, two protesters can be seen wearing black clothing with "NOT YOUR MUM NOT YOUR MILK" and "End the extra charge for vegan milk" written on them. One glued a hand to the glass food cabinet, while another sat at the packaging area and glued a hand to the counter.

Environmental concerns and PETA's position

The reason PETA so strongly opposes Starbucks' surcharge on plant-based milk is its belief that dairy production contributes to global climate change, and that in theory the extra charge should apply to dairy milk instead. Cattle farming pollutes the environment, the group argues, cows' breathing increases carbon dioxide emissions, and raising cattle consumes more water, wasting water resources and creating other environmental problems.

Plant-based milk is different. Growing plants is far more environmentally friendly than raising cattle, and it not only reduces pollution but also lowers water use. PETA further points out that it was Starbucks that first promoted plant-based milk in coffee shops, so charging for it now is outrageous and must be protested.

Starbucks' perspective on plant-based milk

Starbucks was indeed among the first to offer plant-based milk in coffee shops. However, Starbucks provides plant-based milk to accommodate consumers who are lactose intolerant but still want milk in their coffee, not for environmental reasons. The later introduction of almond milk and coconut milk was also meant to give consumers more flavor choices, and the push for oat milk aimed to promote healthy eating. From beginning to end, Starbucks never used plant-based milk for environmental reasons.

The reason PETA protested at American Starbucks this time is that it knows UK Starbucks eliminated the surcharge on plant-based milk this January, and it believes American Starbucks should do the same. In reality, UK Starbucks' removal of the surcharge was a regional policy, so not every region needs to follow suit.

Public reaction and outcome

Perhaps PETA believed that after posting, it would receive attention and support from netizens. It certainly got plenty of attention, but not support. Instead, comment sections filled with question marks. The action left both dairy milk drinkers and plant-based milk drinkers scratching their heads.

Most netizens said they did not understand, especially why anyone would protest Starbucks' plant-based milk charges by gluing their hands to the counter. Some stated that charging extra for plant-based milk is reasonable because the costs themselves are higher than dairy milk, and that offering plant-based milk simply gives consumers another choice rather than obliging them to pay. Other netizens commented, "Don't save them, just let them stay glued there for a day."

So what happened to these two protesters in the end? They were taken away by police and will face charges of theft and property damage. Afterwards, a Starbucks spokesperson stated that due to fluctuations in plant-based milk market prices, the company has no plans to change its decision to charge extra for plant-based milk at this time.

Besides this incident, in mid-March PETA had already protested once by wearing cow pajamas and lying at the entrance of a Starbucks, creating quite a disturbing scene. They also sent tweets tagging Starbucks stating, "A cow died at your store entrance!"

PETA's series of actions has left netizens wondering whether the group hopes that if Starbucks eliminates the surcharge on plant-based milk this time, other coffee shops will follow, allowing them to save money when drinking coffee.

Image source: Internet

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