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Keeping food on families’ tables: Collaboration with ‘Tischlein deck dich’

25 April 2025

Do people really live in poverty in Switzerland? Yes, they do. Some families frequently have hardly enough money to buy food. This is where the food-saving organisation ‘Tischlein deck dich’ comes in – and the Planzer team has been supporting its endeavours since 2025. This commitment makes sense on multiple levels. On the one hand, we transport food for our customers every day, and on the other hand, as a family business, we want to support those families facing particular challenges.

::About ‘Tischlein deck dich’

The association ‘Tischlein deck dich’ is a business initiative. It saves food from being destroyed and distributes it to people in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein who are affected by poverty. Every week, the food-saving organisation reaches people in need via 162 collection points and indirectly via food partners. ‘Tischlein deck dich’ does not buy products: instead, it distributes donated products that it has collected. In 2024, the association provided food for a total of two million people. Photos: Fabio Baranzini

A bigger issue than you might think

‘Tischlein deck dich’ gets food to people who need it in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, who can collect food from 162 collection points and through various food partnerships once a week. The figures prove that poverty is indeed an issue in our country: according to the Federal Statistical Office, the poverty rate in Switzerland was 8.1% in 2023. In other words, more than 708,000 people in Switzerland are living below the poverty line. In 2023, this was deemed to be CHF 4,051 per month, on average, for two adults with two children. These people often don’t even have enough money to cover their daily needs. This makes organisations such as ‘Tischlein deck dich’, which was set up by businesses, all the more important.

Food specialists

‘Tischlein deck dich’ prevents food waste and thus does outstanding charitable work. However, this also poses a logistical challenge for those involved. Lots of food has to be transported in temperature-controlled surroundings and reloaded promptly – otherwise, it will quickly become unfit for consumption. That’s why we support ‘Tischlein deck dich’ by providing transport services. After all, supplying our country with food has been part of our day-to-day business ever since we were founded. From local juice-makers to global food conglomerates, we have numerous food manufacturers on our list of clients. Standing shoulder to shoulder with ‘Tischlein deck dich’, we use our logistics expertise in service of a good cause.

A family supporting other families

There’s another good reason for our involvement with ‘Tischlein deck dich’: as a family business, our understanding of sustainability includes caring for families in need – especially when these families are affected by poverty. You’d think that, in a prosperous country like Switzerland, every family would have enough food to eat. The official sources say otherwise: in 2023, 5.5% of couples with one child living in Switzerland were classified as living in poverty. As a Swiss family-owned transport company, we want to help alleviate at least some of the plight of poverty-stricken families.

‘Planzer’s support is extremely valuable to us. It allows us to save even more food and get it to where it’s needed most.’

Matthias Merz, National Key Account Manager, ‘Tischlein deck dich’

Mission possible

Matthias Merz is a National Key Account Manager at ‘Tischlein deck dich’. He talks to our sustainability managers about solidarity, logistical challenges and the future of food-saving solutions.

  • // Planzer: Matthias, what does the work of ‘Tischlein deck dich’ mean for its recipients and what feedback have you received?
    : Matthias Merz: The support and solidarity we receive from our volunteers, partner organisations, food donors and financiers make our sustainable food-rescue mission possible. Week after week, around 40,000 people affected by poverty receive rescued food via our 162 collection points and other partner organisations. They’re grateful for this support, which eases the strain on their tight household budgets.
  • // What role does good logistics play in the mission pursued by ‘Tischlein deck dich’? And how important is Planzer in this regard?
    Logistics is key to our mission of saving food and distributing it to those in need. This is primarily a logistical task: more than 1,000 product donors provide us with different items in three temperature zones and in varying volumes. These need to be collected, temporarily stored, prepared for the collection points and ultimately delivered. The financial support from Planzer and the assistance with collecting food are extremely valuable to us: they allow us to save even more food and get it to where it’s needed most.
  • // What challenges do you face when transporting the rescued food and how can we at Planzer support you?
    Cost management is doubtless one of the core tasks, but we are also facing other challenges. One of them is returning reusable containers cost-effectively and sustainably. It’s also challenging to guarantee efficient and environmentally friendly transport with compressed pallets.
  • // In which areas has food rescue changed in recent years and how will it evolve in the near future?
    The issue of food waste has come to the fore as a result of political initiatives, the socio-political debate on sustainability and the rising cost of living. Stakeholders in the food industry and consumers alike are increasingly taking steps to reduce food waste. There is also a growing number of commercial food-saving solutions, which sell surplus stock to bargain hunters via new marketplaces or apps. However, food waste remains at a high level in Switzerland – so there’s still plenty of potential to explore. As a charitable food-saving organisation, we’re working hard to ensure that rescued food reaches the people who urgently need it.

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