PETA Protesters Plan Sit-In At Bayside Starbucks Over Milk Costs

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — PETA activists staged a sit-in Friday evening in the Bay Terrace Shopping Center's Starbucks, part of a nationwide campaign to get the coffee shop chain to stop charging more for vegan milks than for regular milk.

Supporters of the animals' rights organization, whose formal name is People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, occupied the Starbucks at 23-88 Bell Blvd. starting at 5 p.m. for a peaceful protest, according to a press release.

“Continuing to charge more for vegan milk while admitting that it’s the key to reducing Starbucks’ massive carbon footprint is irresponsible and unethical,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said in a statement.

“Soy and nut milks shouldn’t cost a cent more than their dairy counterparts, which drive climate change and are cruel to cows and indigestible to many humans. The surcharge must stop now.”

Starbucks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dairy products are the company's largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, making up 21 percent of its global carbon footprint, according to an environmental assessment Starbucks released earlier this week.

Starbucks executives also announced plans to halve its carbon emissions, water withdrawal and landfill waste by 2030, Bloomberg News reported.

Alternative milks, made from ingredients like soy or oats, are more environmentally friendly than milk coming from cows but sometimes cost more: Starbucks charges up to 80 cents extra for other milk varieties.

This isn't the first time PETA has embarked on this campaign. The organization started a letter-writing campaign last year to pressure Starbucks to drop the added fees.