Starbucks plans to stop serving all dairy milk by 2030 to fight climate change

Question

 I saw it in a Guardian article titled “Starbucks to phase out dairy to meet climate goals,” and it’s also being shared a lot on social media, with some people saying Starbucks is “banning milk.” I’m not sure if this is actually true or if it’s just a rumor based on the company’s goal to offer more plant-based options. I’d like to fact-check whether Starbucks really announced a full removal of dairy products by 2030 or if people are misinterpreting their sustainability plans.

Answer 1

This claim is not true. On the Starbucks website, under their sustainable initiatives, there is no mention of any initiative to phase out dairy. Rather there are initiatives to cut down carbon emissions through focusing on plant based offerings, making these offerings more accessible to customers. They intend to make it more accesibble by making plant based offerings free to substitute for dairy products. Additionally, they have invested in sustainable dairy practices rather than cutting down dairy products.

https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-furthers-commitment-to-sustainable-dairy/

Comments

I agree with your statement, in almost all of Starbucks drinks, they'll include a form of dairy, it is one of their consumer selling points. Starbucks is partnered with dairy cooperatives and farmers around the world.

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I thought you going straight to the source ( Starbucks website) was the best thing to do for this topic. Stating exactly what they said when it comes to dairy products is what the readers need to see instead of hearing a third parties opinion on it.

Answer 2

This claim is not true. Starbucks has not announced any plans to phase out milk by 2030. However, they have announced intentions to minimize their environmental footprint by 2030. In 2024, Starbucks did confirm that it would work with its entire US dairy supply chain to reduce carbon emissions by half by 2030 via its Sustainable Dairy Program. Perhaps this is where the confusion arose from.
https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-furthers-commitment-to-sustainable-dairy

Answer 3

The claim that Starbucks will completely get rid of dairy by 2025 is false. According to Starbucks they plan on doing different projects like water project funding and planting cover crops to capture carbon, this will allow them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “By 2030, the cafe chain is targeting 50% reductions in carbon emissions, water withdrawal, and waste sent to landfills” (https://fortune.com/2020/01/21/starbucks-carbon-footprint-dairy/). This is in action because in 2018 Starbucks emitted 16 metric tons of greenhouse gasses. “Around March of this year, the company plans to begin testing a paper cup it’s been developing with partners seeking a more widely recyclable and compostable hot-drink container” (https://financialpost.com/news/retail-marketing/starbucks-to-push-customers-to-ditch-dairy-for-alternative-milk-as-it-moves-to-cut-carbon-footprint). Starbucks will continue to work with dairy farms to decrease carbon dioxide emissions. “Over the past few years, Starbucks has been partnering with dairy cooperatives and farmers to implement solutions across our supply chain and is positioned to expand within its company-operated markets around the world” (https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-furthers-commitment-to-sustainable-dairy/).

Starbuck is taking action to help the environment by reducing dairy and getting rid of plastic cups but getting rid of all dairy isn't true.

Answer 4

While Starbucks does have a 2030 sustainability plan listed on the official website, it does not mention the removal of dairy milks. Instead, it discusses a reduced water and carbon footprint goal. Starbucks makes it clear in this article that they collaborate with farmers to produce dairy in sustainable ways, but it does not mention shutting dairy milks out completely. It's important to note that Starbucks is the biggest coffee chain in the US, having 17,186 shops nationwide according to this website. Initiating a drastic change such as removing dairy from their coffees would deter a large amount of their consumers, which in turn would lose them money. 

Answer 5

This claim is not true. Starbucks hasn't put out anything about "banning milk" anytime soon. There was an article by LiveKindly titled "Starbucks May Phase Out Dairy to Combat Climate Change," which could have formed the rumor, but was later overturned by Starbucks. In 2023, Starbucks put out an article titled "Starbucks further commitment to sustainable dairy," where they provided funding to support new dairy projects to continue sustainable dairy. They mention efforts to cut their carbon footprint in half by 2030. Not cutting out dairy milk. Although Starbucks' non-dairy alternatives are already helping with climate change, the company is still expanding its plant-based options. With their food and drink products. I don't think Starbucks will get rid of its dairy milk anytime soon, but it will continue to work hard on producing it sustainably to help stop climate change. 

Answer 6

This claim is not true. The article linked to this fact discusses what the outcome of Starbucks phasing out dairy would be, not that they actually intend to do that. It also states that a clickbait (in other words, untrue) article stating that Starbucks intended to get rid of dairy was “quickly refuted by Starbucks,” with the company coming forward to, “assert that it is not planning to phase out animal dairy.” Rather than getting rid of dairy, Starbucks will simply be removing the extra charge for non-dairy alternatives. This rule was instated as of November 7, 2024. 

https://about.starbucks.com/press/2024/starbucks-announces-removal-of-extra-charge-for-non-dairy-milk-starting-nov-7/

https://www.today.com/food/news/starbucks-ends-nondairy-milk-upcharge-rcna178042

https://sentientmedia.org/dairy-free-starbucks-a-win-for-animals-and-the-planet/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Answer 7

This claim is false. I could not find the original article from the guradian, and the most recent articles from the Guardian regarding starbucks and dairy have to do mostly with a california lawsuit over plant-based milks. The article you linked to prove your claim actually disproves it outright, as they claim the rumour originates from this article, which the sentient media calls "click-bait" and was later refuted by starbucks. While starbucks is not phasing dairy out, they are pledging to drop their carbon footprint by fifty percent, though they concede that it will take decades.

Answer 8

This is not true. Starbucks has not made any announcement or claim of this. On the Starbucks website, they speak about having the goal of supporting sustainable dairy practices to ensure having ethical and good quality dairy. The website says "In November 2023, Starbucks awarded over $3.1M in cost-share funding to seven California dairy farms participating in the Sustainable Dairy Program."(https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-furthers-commitment-to-sustainable-dairy/) Starbucks continues to support the dairy farming community, and encourage proper practices. Starbucks has began other projects as well such as renewable methane conversion, improving water and plant conditions, reducing fossil fuels, and investment into water projects. Starbucks aims to reduce carbon footprint in half by 2030. Starbucks also states that "By the end of this fiscal year, Starbucks plans to continue to drive methane reduction and expand enrollment in its Sustainable Dairy Program to 100% of the company’s U.S. dairy supply chain."(https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-furthers-commitment-to-sustainable-dairy/) As seen, Starbucks further invests and supports dairy production, while also aiming to reduce carbon footprint. 

https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-furthers-commitment-to-sustainable-dairy/

 

Answer 9

The claim that Starbucks is planning to stop serving all dairy milk by 2030 with the goal of fighting climate change is false. 

The article linked to this claim is an opinion article that outlines the environmental benefits if Starbucks were to stop serving dairy milk by 2030. The article addresses the fact that Starbucks has no intention of actually doing this, and that the idea first came from a clickbait article with the headline “Starbucks May Phase Out Dairy to Combat Climate Change.” https://www.livekindly.co/starbucks-phase-out-dairy-climate-change/ 

https://about.starbucks.com/stories/category/people-impact/sustainability/ 

On the official Starbucks website, they state, “Our goal is to reduce our water and carbon footprint by half by 2030. Across our company, we are testing and scaling innovative solutions to support partners, farmers and communities in the face of global climate change.” This initiative to reduce their water and carbon footprint in half by 2030 includes things like implementing more EV chargers, investing in renewable energy, and creating more sustainable cups that contain “up to 20 percent less plastic.” 

https://about.starbucks.com/stories/2023/starbucks-furthers-commitment-to-sustainable-dairy/

As for their dairy-specific goals, Starbucks does plan on furthering their commitment to sustainable dairy by supporting dairy farmers, investing in sustainability projects, and helping to ensure the quality care of animals. According to the website, “The projects represent a significant decrease in total carbon reduction contributing to our efforts to cut our carbon footprint in half by 2030 and continuing support for dairy farmers on their sustainability journey.”

So, Starbucks does intend to fight climate change by setting specific goals they want to reach by 2030, but they are not planning on eradicating the use of dairy milk in their drinks anytime soon.