With Earth Day right around the corner, a lot of Hawai'i folks are looking for ways to be eco-conscious. An easy way is to wear clothing with the least amount of impact on the environment.

We found three T-shirt companies that fit the profile. After all, the T-shirt is the most ubiquitous garment on the backs of both men and women in the Islands.

TADPOLE STUDIO

It started with an addiction. An addiction to shopping at Goodwill. Although he is an architect by training and profession, Bundit Kanisthakhon considers himself the ultimate scavenger. He would often come home with boxes of stuff, especially T-shirts, many of them brand new with the labels still attached. As an eco-conscious individual, he just knew that there was something useful he could do with all those T-shirts.

He began talking it up with colleague, collaborator and dedicated recycler Kirk Malanchuk. Together they founded Tadpole studio, a tiny, sunny space on Smith Street in Chinatown where the two collaborate and create 3D art from recycled materials.

Tadpole, Kanisthakhon explained, was his nickname as a child in Thailand. He feels it's an appropriate name for his studio: "I'm not grown up yet," he said. "I'm still developing, a work in progress."

Now Kanisthakhon and Malanchuk are partnering on Tadpole T-shirts, an ecologically sensitive clothing concept. They take shirts from Goodwill and print a clean, simple graphic that says: "This used to be yours." Pearlyn Salvador helps with the screen printing.

An added aspect of their art: They use an image transfer technique to print the receipt from Goodwill. "It's great because it shows the date, time and location where you bought it. if you use a credit card, it even has your signature," Kanisthakhon said. It also serves as a souvenir for visitors.

Now the partners are working on ways to package the T-shirts using recycled materials. One possibility is to cut off the tops and bottoms of water bottles and use it as a cylindrical sleeve. Another is to use recycled bottles, rolling the shirt up and placing it inside.

ROKETO

When Tracy Shiraishi of Kane'ohe set out to start his own line of T-shirts, he was committed to keeping his values intact. He lists them as "keeping the well-being of others in mind; the necessity of caring for our shared resources; and the importance of giving back to the community."

Shiraishi said, "I think as long as I run my business this way, things will work out. If not, at a minimum, I'll know I did things the way I felt was right."

In recent years. the availability, and quality, of organic cotton and bamboo T-shirts has increased considerably. This has made it possible for Shiraishi's company, Roketo, to go organic. Well, not completely organic yet (as of now he hasn't received delivery of his colored organic T-shirts), but soon. He also makes an effort to be sure that all shirts are produced with fair labor practices, and a portion of each sale is given to local social and environmental organizations. such as the Boys' & Girls' Clubs and The Kokua Hawai'i Foundation.

Shiraishi prints the shirts himself, in his grandmother's house. "Hey, I'm trying to find a balance between earning a living and trying to have as little impact on the environment as possible," he said.

Although organic fabrics add considerably to the cost of his blank T-shirts, Shiraishi is committed to offering them as an option. "To encourage sales of the organic tees, I try not to pass the price increase on to the customer," he said. "I do my best to keep the price the same whether they are buying organic or regular."

THE ORGANIK

Organic is exactly what The Organik T-shirts are all about. Ed Fernandez of Kailua, Kona, is an environmental health specialist who was searching for an innovative business that would have as little impact on the environment as possible. He and his cousin, Brian Jones of Seattle, trademarked the name "The Organik" before they even knew what sort of widget they might be selling under the moniker.

Since Fernandez is a self-avowed fashion lover who lives in T-shirts and jeans, and Jones is a graphic designer, the idea of printing their own line of T-shirts seemed like a natural.

After less than a year in business, their shirts are in several boutiques around Honolulu as well as in Fred Segal, the iconic Beverly Hills haven of all things hip and cool.

The Organik's T-shirts come from Turkey, India and Peru. Fabrics include organic cotton, organic pima (long staple) cotton, bamboo and a polyester/nylon fiber manufactured from recycled plastic bottles. The graphics relate to endangered species and forces of nature. The company uses eco-friendly water-based inks and are screen-printed so they have a distinctively vintage feel.

As the green movement gathers momentum, we are sure to see more eco-conscious T-shirts cropping up around the Islands.