The trend of creativity is changing. Beautiful or novel designs used to impress people until a while ago; wonderful artworks used to be created based on strong concepts. This situation, however, seems to be changing. It seems that creative work today has to be based on solid logics.

I think that creativity is going to develop on the foundation of "philosophy, ethics, and sensitivity".

Philosophy is pursuit of fundamental principles of life.
Ethics is reflection on duty of human beings.
Sensitivity is emotions we have when we have contact with things.

Impressive work is created through knowledge of principles of the world and actions which are useful for the world. This is true in all creation including architecture, design and art. Creativity has to contribute to society in today's world.

What do human beings living today have to do in order to realise sustainable society? This is the question we often ask when environmental issues are in discussion. Naturally, creators are a small group of the human beings. "What is creativity for sustainable society?" is the proposition for creators today.

What is sustainable society, then? Human beings are facing many issues such as destruction of ozone shield, explosive increase of the world population, food scares, and energy crisis in which the petrol is going to be scarce in forty years; the existence of human beings is not sustainable in this situation. We are going to ruin ourselves unless we change our current behavioural patterns. We need gui-delines for social structures and systems which allow human beings to live on earth in a sustainable way; this is "realisation of sustainable society".

Many people may say that creators should just make good things and they don't need any difficult ideas. More people, however, are starting to find expressions of superficial beauty, which are not based on any reflection on principals, trivial and unbearable. This is a newly emerging trend. As materialistic mass consumerism is being replaced by optimal consumerism in today's society, superficial beauty becomes out of date and is consumed like a bubble quickly.

I would like to suggest the idea of a circulating creative system which enables human beings to live in a sustainable way. The system is based on solving every single small problem. For example, a big company prohibits distribution of photocopies in a meeting. All the process is done with computers and projectors. This is only a small step. This decision, however, saves consumption of hundreds of million pieces of photocopy paper. Such a small suggestion has a power to change the world.
As 100% recycled paper is used for +81 E code, no trees are consumed. If virgin pulp were used, around 80 natural trees would be consumed according to the calculation based on the actual number of copies printed.(Calculation of number of trees consumed has been done by CSP PROJECT).
We start by planting the number of trees we would have consumed. The idea of planting as many trees as cutting down is part of the circulating creative system. As trees take several dozens of years to grow, we must also find ideas and actions to fill the gap. Along with use of recycled paper, if all the paper-consuming industries put the idea into action and start planting as many trees as cutting down, the most creative activity which is creating big forests on earth is going to take place. There should be no greater creation than that.
Such an idea is "philosophy", putting the idea into action is "ethics", and having sympathy in it is "sensitivity".

Creative work has a power to make the world better. "Creators, please make your best in making the world better". This was the message to the readers from the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer at the interview two years ago. Let's put our creativity in actions in order to make the world better. That makes the most beautiful and most impressive creation.

Satoru Yamashita, +81 E code Director

From 2006, they sell new attractive original stickers designed by retired weapons and POWER GRAPHIXX, fabulous Japanese designers. This project is produced by Trigg, a social creative label from Japan, which connects design and social activities. You can choose one and put it on wherever you want. Like this way, design can make communication which pleasantly involves us in social activities.

Yoshihiro Kanematsu

■You can order stickers online at following websites.
www.jirai.org/
www.trigg.jp/

Words such as eco, lohas and slow life have become common words in our lives today. Let's look at the quality of life and our environment and reevaluate them; this kind of thinking has been firmly established among people. AVEDA is a natural-cosmetics company that has grown through the power of flowers and plants, communing with nature since 1970's. The pioneer company that focuses on the relationship between beauty, health and the environment. What messages can we take from AVEDA's achievement and vision?


Aesthetics and science born from a bottle of shampoo
Since its establishment in 1978, AVEDA has been loved by people the world over. The brand, whose products are sold and used at ov-er 8,000 shops, spas and network hair salons in 23 countries and regions today, surprisingly, started with a bottle of shampoo. The founder Horst Rechelbacher, who was then an internationally successful hair-stylist, encountered "the science of life that uses the human being's natural healing power" in India - the traditional medicine called Ayurveda. He took this inspiration and created a shampoo with natural plant ingredients. AVEDA's products, who-se main ingredients are plants and flowers, and which are made mostly of organic ingredients and non-oil minerals, attracted people, not only in the US, but all over the world. AVEDA has been kno-wn, not only for its excellent hair care products and skin care pro-ducts, but as a brand that helps people create beautiful lifestyles.

What AVEDA is doing in order to treasure the life-filled earth
With the theme "An environment that can be sustainable", AVEDA has been making a great effort toward environmental preservation through the manufacturing of their products and by sharing some of the company's profits with society. The brand's activities include using only materials that are considerably non-burdensome to the earth with which to build shops and salons, using recycled materials for packaging, and the most unique activity that AVEDA is involved in, the traceability system which allows customers to see how the product was made from the soil to becoming the product. Holding hands with many indigenous people and farmers all over the world, and borrowing their wisdom learned only from living with flowers and plants for a very long time, AVEDA nurtures plants with rich soil. Using this process, the brand makes products with plants such as sandalwood from West Australia, lavender from Bulgaria and babacu nuts from Brazil. This answers the question of who nurtured what, where and how and guarantees rich products, while at the same time, becomes a source of income. We also support education system and medical facilities for a stable life among those involved.
AVEDA has also been actively promoting the use of natural resources. Under the partnership with the RARE Center for Tropical Conservation, AVEDA is involved in programs to support six world heritage listed areas to help preserve their ecology. AVEDA continues in the effort to reach people and teach people about what eco-tourism is and to engender respect for natural environments.

27 years ago, a man faced the greatness of nature's gifts and understood the importance of living with nature. He started a brand and the brand has become a leader in the world of beauty, and now that brand is becoming a leader in environmental conservation. The way AVEDA holds hands and lives with nature opens our eyes and makes us realize many important things.

Join eco activities that are in your reach

What is Earth Month promoted by AVEDA?
As a part of their effort to preserve our safe environment, AVEDA calls April Earth Month and has devoted themselves to lead people to look at our environment for the past 10 years. This year, AVEDA has announced that Earth Month will run from March 30th until May 10th, and with the slogan "Plants’ breaths are our lives". AVEDA will do everything in its power to save plants in danger of extinction, and will start some campaigns to save the diversity of species on this planet. AVEDA is known for its dedication to activities that we can all be a part of, such as donating at AVEDA’s network salons and spas. Here are some of AVEDA's most outstanding activities.

Signature campaign to let the world know the importance of the planet's plants
Soil pollution, excessive deforestation and illegal trading all over the world have pushed many plants and their ecology near to the point of extinction. AVEDA has launched a signature campaign wherein customers' signatures are collected at AVEDA salons and shops. The signatures collected in the US will be submitted to President George W. Bush. Those collected in other countries will be submitted to the UN. During Earth Month 2005, 2,867 customers participated in this campaign, and 235,000 signatures were co-llected worldwide. AVEDA aims to collect 275,000 signatures this year to support environmental preservation.

Limited Edition- Light the Way: Rose Geranium Candle to save plants
Light the Way: Rose Geranium Candles, limited edition candles launched to support Earth Month this year. Rose geranium, found in South Africa, is a beautiful violet flower with the sweet scent of roses. This plant is also a symbol of AVEDA's traceability system, with which customers can see how the products have been manufactured. If you purchase this aroma candle, which is made of organic ingredients, the entire proceeds will be donated to BGCI Japan (Botanic Gardens Conservation International Japan) for plant preservation. 95% of the glass container is made of recycled glass. You can use the glass container any way you like after the candle burns out, making you an ecologist.

Join the green activity with celebrities
Using a hand-made technique that has been brought down through the generations in Alabama, the eco-fashion brand, Project Alabama, creates various products. Project Alabama has designed Earth-friendly Eco-bags with used T-shirts. The bags will bear celebrities' autographs and handprints, and will be put up for auction on June 5th, World Environment Day. Many celebrities are participating in the project including Jessica Alba and Kirsten Dunst from the US and Kahimi Karie and Mari Natsuki from Japan, to name a few. The unique eco-bags have a playful touch and are perfect for shopping and outdoor activities. The proceeds will be donated to NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council).

　http://www.aveda.co.jp/