Starbucks currently charges 70 cents for oat, almond, soy and coconut milk added to its drinks, which is something Paul McCartney and PETA believe is unfair.
Ahead of his upcoming tour stop in Seattle — where Starbucks is based — the Beatle shared a letter to the coffee company’s CEO Kevin Johnson to end the surcharge on plant-based milks before he retires on April 4.
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“My friends at PETA are campaigning for this,” McCartney wrote in the letter. “I sincerely hope that for the future of the planet and animal welfare you are able to implement this policy.”
According to PETA, producing cow’s milk generates around three times more greenhouse-gas emissions, and uses nine times more land than vegan options do. It takes 628 liters of water to make 1 liter of cow’s milk, while oat or soy milk requires 90% less water. You can read more about PETA’s vegan milk campaign here.
The veteran rock star has a long history of promoting a vegan lifestyle. He also teamed up with PETA for his 78th birthday in 2020, when a video for the organization titled “Glass Walls” showed how horrific animal slaughterhouse conditions are. “That’s why this year I’m urging fans to watch a video I hosted for PETA titled ‘Glass Walls.’ We called it that because if slaughterhouses had glass walls, who would want to eat meat?” he wrote in a guest blog for the group at the time.
McCartney most recently urged leaders at COP26 — the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference — to address that animal agriculture has a detrimental effect on the environment.
Read McCartney’s full letter to Johnson below, shared exclusively with Billboard.
Dear Mr. Johnson,
It recently came to my attention that Starbucks in the USA has an extra charge for plant based milks as opposed to cow’s milk. I must say this surprised me as I understand that in other countries like UK and India, there is the same charge for both types of milk and I would like to politely request that you consider this policy also in Starbucks USA.
My friends at PETA are campaigning for this to happen and I have agreed to support them with the quote: “Sir Paul is asking Starbucks to end its surcharge on plant milks,” and I sincerely hope that for the future of the planet and animal welfare you are able to implement this policy.
Many thanks.
All the Best,
Sir Paul McCartney
Update (Mar. 31): A representative from Starbucks has noted that Starbucks India does have an additional charge for non-dairy milks.