Better meat than animals

When planning and equipping our new production site in Switzerland, we wanted to create a smart infrastructure from the outset to minimize the environmental footprint of our operations.


Renewable energy

We use renewable energy for our production facility and offices in Switzerland. We even use 100% Swiss hydroelectric power. And to ensure no energy is wasted, we use the heat generated during production to heat our offices and other parts of the building. With this we’ve drastically reduced our natural gas usage to just 20%, with the remaining 80% fulfilled by this energy recovery system.


Saving water drop by drop

We are careful with resources and use only as much as necessary. In our production, water is mainly used for the product itself as an ingredient and for cleaning. We only use as much as necessary to maintain our cleaning routine, which has the highest standards for hygiene, quality and safety. To reduce water consumption as much as possible, we have installed office-wide water conservation measures. We also pay attention to what goes into the wastewater: our plant is equipped with a wastewater collection tank where production wastewater is mixed and pH-neutralized before it enters the sewer system.

As a foodtech start-up exploring new frontiers, we are particularly keen on innovation. We have focused on building a strong in-house R&D team to identify new alternative proteins and develop new biostructuring methods and technologies. We believe that in the future, biostructured proteins will be superior to animal meat in terms of taste, sustainability, health, efficiency and price. We are committed to using only 100% natural ingredients and no additives in all our products - making them a healthy and better option for everyone. We get really euphoric when we think about what product we're going to launch next and believe that having a variety of options for people who want to consume less animal protein is the key to success. Plus: we love to challenge ourselves.

We have it down to a science.

By upcycling by-products from other food value chains, we contribute to a more sustainable food system. Our planted.pulled contains flour made from sunflower pressings - the high-quality byproduct of sunflower oil production. What's great about this is that not only does the utilization of these pressed pellets in human nutrition make sense from a circular economy perspective, but the pressed pellets are also rich in macro- and micronutrients. Not to mention that the result is delicious. And that's just the beginning. We're working with suppliers and research institutions to make more of it happen in the future.

Sustainable procurement and supply chain support

In addition to quality and safety, we pay particular attention to social and environmental risks in our supply chain. As a first step, we are strengthening our approach to procurement decisions and the screening of key suppliers. Our supplier policy defines criteria for sustainable cooperation based on ILO labor standards and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and describes the prevention of environmental pollution. Where there are potential problems with suppliers and partners, we ask the necessary questions to motivate them to improve.

In addition to oats and sunflower as protein sources, our pea proteins and fibers are Planted's main raw materials. All plant-based ingredients are GMO-free. And because the cultivation of protein-rich crops in tropical regions is strongly associated with deforestation and biodiversity loss. We have made it our policy to not source any agricultural main raw materials from biodiversity-rich rainforest.

We opt for local ingredients wherever quality allows. In 2023 we sourced yellow peas from Switzerland for the first time and are conducting a research project into the use of Swiss yellow peas in our products.

We are also a founding member of the Swiss Protein Society, to proactively push the issue of “alternative proteins” on the political agenda.

Our packaging must adequately protect the product and maximize its shelf life. Otherwise, more of our products would end up in the trash. Avoiding this is a top priority for us. Planted is all about finding innovative solutions, such as the packaging for our web store. The cooler bag we ship in is made of recycled paper and is 100% recyclable, and the cooling pads are filled with tap water that can easily be drained into the sink.

In our Swiss market, we have proudly transitioned to using post-consumer recycled PET* (rPET) for our plastic trays and continue to use FSC-certified carton board. The FSC certificate ensures, that the material used originates from managed forests. Our cardboard packaging can be disposed of in the usual cardboard collection cardboard collection. According to our Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) calculations, using rPET is 66% more efficient in reducing environmental impact compared to using virgin plastic.

At Planted, we firmly believe that scarce resources must be used sparingly and responsibly. That's why we continuously work to optimize our production processes and eliminate waste wherever possible. During production, we closely monitor organic waste generation as start-up losses can occur during meat processing when machines are not yet fully heated, or when parts do not meet quality standards (e.g., if they are too small). To reduce these losses, we have implemented an internal optimization project that has cut losses by over 90%.

In all our interactions, we place special emphasis on fairness and respect. We do not discriminate against anyone based on gender, age, race, nationality or any other non-professional classification. These are principles we all live by every day. To accommodate different needs and lifestyles, almost all jobs at Planted can be part-time, and work schedules are flexible. We offer mentoring and training to acquire new skills and support the development of our team members. We also offer on-the-job training positions. And we place special emphasis on mental health. All our team members have access to free and confidential expert counseling and coaching.

At the production site, safety always comes first. We assess risks, implement mitigation measures and design special safety training. We track and analyze accidents and near misses and implement our findings to ensure that similar mistakes are not repeated. We implemented a Code of Conduct for our Board of Directors, Executive Board and senior management that describes ethical business practices and social and environmental responsibility.

Our company-wide travel policy states that we consider the environmental impact of our travel options. Whenever possible, we use public transportation and explore the possibility of holding online meetings instead of in-person meetings. Sometimes, however, we have to fly. We record these unavoidable flight emissions and offset them in high-quality climate protection projects. In 2023, business flight emissions calculated using Quantis science amounted to 18 tons of CO2-eq. We decided to support a regional project in the Lake Constance area that promotes fertile soils as natural CO₂ sinks. This climate protection program in collaboration with the Bio Stiftung Schweiz stores carbon in agricultural soils and promotes measures that contribute to climate-friendly agriculture.

More information about the project: MyClimate