Unilux is committed to insect conservation insects repel, but also honor!

German research has shown that over three-quarters of insects have disappeared in the past thirty years, with dramatic consequences. Market leader in insect protection Unilux from Boxtel takes this development very seriously, and really not just out of self-interest. Improve the world, start with yourself, was the first thought that occurred to CEO Patrick van Loosbroek. 

Take the meadow birds. Their young eat insects. Take soil life. Insects in the soil help create fertile soil. Take the barn swallow. They are increasingly disappearing from the landscape because there are fewer insects. Nature organizations and the central government, among others, are very concerned about insect conservation. And so is Unilux. 

'Unilux Loves Insects'
"Unilux has therefore launched the message 'Unilux loves Insects' and linked it to our products: door and window screens of the highest quality," said Patrick van Loosbroek. With this message, Unilux embraces initiatives that work to preserve insects and the wild bee in particular. To reinforce the message even further - with the arrival of spring - an XXL-sized wasp landed on the roof of the Unilux factory in Boxtel. 

The central government launched the National Bee Strategy in January 2018. Unilux participated in it as a partner, underlining the importance of joining forces nationwide for the conservation of insects in general and wild bees in particular. In addition to national actions, a variety of local initiatives to support insects are taking shape. Think about counting bees in the backyard or making insect hotels during NL Doet. "But if we are made even more aware of it when carrying out our own daily activities, we believe that message will come across even better," Van Loosbroek said. 

"We are very aware of what is going on," he says. "And it turns out to be serious! Seventy percent of animal species on Earth are insects. They are responsible for the pollination of plants, for example, and therefore of our food crops. At a time when more and more can be simulated, it is still the insects that convert plants and dead animals into new nutrients. When humans are no longer around, the earth just keeps spinning. But when the insects disappear, most amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals soon follow! On a positive note, more than a hundred thousand people have already signed the national petition 'Save Our Insects.'" 

Recently, an XXL-sized wasp landed on the roof of the Unilux factory in Boxtel.

Improve the world and start with yourself!
Unilux believes that all parties who are somewhat concerned about the environment should be much more aware of the dangers facing the insect world. "And business must also play a role," said Van Loosbroek. "Both business to business and business to consumer. Improve the world and start with yourself! Our insect screens are a practical example by which every consumer can do their part to preserve insects. After all, by using insect screens, the insects stay alive ánd they stay outside, so we are not bothered by them in the house. A win-win situation." 

"That we want to further promote our message to preserve insects through our products is a logical step," states Van Loosbroek. "We are simply combining our sustainability strategy and our core business! With more than 1,600 dealers in the Netherlands, we can easily spread this message further. And we speak not only to our dealers, but also to consumers. They are also directly confronted with it. During hot summer days, everyone wants to enjoy the nice weather. This includes cozy dining, but also sleeping with the windows open. But preferably without buzzing insects." 

Repelling insects can of course be done with sprays and also mosquito plugs, Van Loosbroek also knows. "But these contain harmful substances and pesticides that kill and exterminate insects and thus impoverish nature. Moreover, they can be harmful to the user himself! After all, they are pesticides! Window screens and screen doors ensure that the insects do not enter and do not bother us indoors, but rather stay outside, where they can do their useful work.

Thus we contribute with our products to the preservation of insects in nature. And so does everyone who purchases an insect repellent." 

Dealer participation
"We emphatically make our dealers aware of the issue so they can inform their customers about it," says Hanneke Harmeling, marketing manager at Unilux. "But we also include this message in our direct communication to consumers: fresh air inside, insects outside! We do this in the form of flyers, advertisements and online communication, in which we then draw extra attention to the insect issue. For this we have designed recognizable symbolism." 

"This year we are collaborating for the second time with Muggenradar - part of Buienradar - and will do a campaign together on the RTL channels," Hanneke Harmeling continues. "We are also in talks with several other partners to launch even more campaigns. For example, we supported the National Bee Count of Nederland Zoemt, which took place on April 13 and 14. Earlier, we gave away bags of organic, bee-friendly flower seeds at our screens. After all, a garden full of flowers and shrubs is exactly what insects love. But then it's nice if you know how to keep them out!" 

Corporate Social Responsibility
Unilux's sustainability strategy also includes the carbon footprint, material sourcing from the immediate environment and "Made in Holland" as important pillars of corporate social responsibility. "By now, 90% of the aluminum we process has already been recycled," Van Loosbroek says. "And we also repair all Unilux screens. That too is part of sustainability. We also work with a clean coloring process and our fleet of vehicles is hybrid or electric. Corporate social responsibility means working responsibly. So we don't work against nature but with nature!"