Basics: The Revenge Is… t-shirts I received were created with plastic bottles! That’s right folks, recycled plastic bottles. On their website, Revenge Is… notes that these shirts are recycled plastic bottles that have been melted down to become a fine yarn which is then blended with organic cotton. They also call their shirts “soft and silky” which is exactly what I would have told someone about them, if they hadn’t said it first. They also offer a 100% organic cotton t-shirts – which are supposed to offer a more relaxed fit; although, I thought the bottle shirts were pretty darn relaxed to begin with.

Packaging: T shirts are wrapped in brown paper made from 100% recycled material; and the ones I received were packed super tight in a tiny box – go them. This is a great way to save space and resources. This company prints on FSC certified paper using soy ink – and when they must use new boxes to ship, they are made from recycled material. Although, they note that “Frequently, your purchase will come in a reused box.”

Design: Simple, no fuss, no muss designs are on these shirts. The t-shirts are available with various text imprinted, each with a socially responsible message -  Taking Back Our Country, Energy Independence (with OPEC X’d out in the lower corner) or Main Street At Work (with Wall Street X’d out in the lower corner). Colors available include black or charcoal. Something nice about the men’s t-shirt fit on a girl (me) is that the shirt was not all boxy, like some guys shirts. It fell nicely, and still looked like me in a shirt vs. me in my boyfriend’s shirt.

Here’s a look at the men’s t-shirt design (both front and back):

And for the ladies there’s a little bit more of a streamlined look going on…

What I think, plus the Revenge Is… happy tree score:

Pros:

I can not believe how soft and smooth these shirts are considering they started as plastic. Seriously, they feel like second skin. I didn’t want to take mine off (eventually I had to shower, but you know).

I love that they’re tagless and I like the simplicity of the design. I got charcoal colored shirts and it’s a great gray color, not too dark or light, just about perfect. I washed one of the shirts about three times to see what happened. As recommended by Revenge Is… I washed on cold and hung the shirt to dry (I would have done that anyhow). There was no shrinking what-so-ever and only the most minor loss of silky soft – but not enough to notice unless like me, you were looking.

Cons: 

• I wish they came in other colors. I’m not a fan of black, and while I like gray, I might be more inclined to purchase a blue or olive colored shirt. I think guys will dig on the color choices, but maybe not girls as much.
• I thought the fit was a little tight on the girl sizes. My size large fit fine and I’m an averaged size girl BUT if I had a bigger tummy or (excuse me – boobs) it would have been a too tight fit. For example, my sis and best friend are um, rather well stacked, and these shirts (in female) would not work out for them I don’t think. The men’s styles were sized well I thought.
• Lastly, I didn’t love how the little logo on the back of the shirt lines right up on your bum. It sort of draws attention to your butt, which I suppose could be a good thing in the proper situation, but not all.

Revenge Is… final score:

Four out of five happy trees. I almost gave them a five just because these are some of the softest most comfortable shirts I’ve ever had on, but because they lack other colors, and because the girl sizes run a wee bit small, I knocked off a point. They did score high enough that I’ll be adding these to my green holiday gift guide. Overall, in spite of minor issues, this is a great shirt, an ethical company, and would make the perfect casual clothing gift for a friend.

P.S. Revenge Is… also offers some pretty cool looking eco-gear, like a HUGE reusable bag and a hybrid mug.

$38 – Revenge Is… t-shirts

+ Revenge Is...

November current events at Tree Hugging Family – themes, reviews, news, and more…

[image via Revenge Is...]

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Like all ChicoBags, this bag above is eco-friendly, but extra special (it was designed by a 12 year old). This fun bag holds 20 lbs of candy, WAY more than one child can collect. After Halloween, you can add this bag to your shopping bag arsenal. Bonus – “A percentage of the sale of each bag will be contributed to Treeswing, the organization making Green Halloween (and other great initiatives) possible.”

We’ve seen ChicoBags at Tree Hugging Family before, and liked them. To learn more about ChicoBags in general, take a look at:

• ChicoBags, a Fun Solution
• Have You Tried a ChicoBag?

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in September 2008

[image via Greenfeet]

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My overall favorite posts: 

Green Wedding Feature: I’m not the biggest fan of weddings in general, yet I really had fun during green wedding month. I liked the whole darn thing. The cake, the lighting, the flowers, the dresses, and more. It was a super entertaining theme, and I think I was surprised by just how many cool green wedding resources there are out there.

100 Ideas for Your Green Family & 60 Eco-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Spring & How Kids Can Make A Difference: Saving the Planet from A to Z – Good stuff. Also these lists posts take flipping forever, so I better love them.

The Tree Hugging Change Surprise – This post was pretty dull, but for me it marks something good. This was the post where I introduced Peggy when she joined Tree Hugging Family. I think Peggy’s been the best addition ever to this blog. She’s the best green co-blogger you could ask for, a good friend, and an all around killer person. Now, before I get too sappy, I’ll leave it at this – aren’t you glad she joined the party?

Month-by-month favorites:

I was trying to think, now how can I choose my favorite posts of the year. I can’t. It’s hard. So I’ll choose one great, visit again worthy post from each month, and be done with it. Here we go….

September: 10 Fun Organic Gardening Projects for Kids

October: Seven Trees A Year

November: Eco-Friendly Birthday Theme Cakes

December: 25 Reasons To Get Outside During Winter

January: Peace & Social Change: 10 Ways You Can Actively Participate

February: Make Your Own Solar Light!

March: Eco Tips from Kids

April: Homemade Organic Paint Soap for Kids

May: Organic Food Costs Rise – 11 Ways to Save Money on Organic Food

June: Overcoming Reusable Bag Shyness

July: Go organic without losing your mind

August: Solar Art Project

What are some of your favorite THF posts of the year? 

(random flower images via stock.xchng)

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This book, appropriate for baby to preschool age children, follows the adventure of one little boy and his reusable bag. Really cool design and a simple message make this book a great find for eco-friendly parents and kids. As a bonus, the book comes with a tot-sized reusable Tyvek shopping bag.

Click here to learn about all the current contests, themes, and green challenges going on at Tree Hugging Family in May 2008

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Green Handkerchief:  Nice for a reusable handkerchief. 100% cotton and vintage to boot. Adorable design and so much less waste than using paper based tissues.

This is one reusable item I’m a little concerned with, mainly because I always wonder about the overall germ issues – and believe me, I’m not germ-a-phobic or anything. But when you’re sick you don’t feel like washing a million cloth handkerchiefs. Cedar’s dad is a big user of cloth handkerchiefs and they work well for him but I’m not sure they work well for Cedar when he’s sick. He tosses them everywhere (ick). That said, it’s a ridiculous use of paper to use traditional tissue. I suppose this is something I should look at. When I was a kid, my mom made everyone use old cloth diapers as tissue – which yes, is pretty green, what with re-use and all, but I didn’t like the germ issues then either.

I  love this fresh reusable grocery / anything bag. I’d use it for lots of stuff. It’s way cute and of course cuts down on your paper and plastic bag use. This one is burlap, zig zag stitched (no fraying), and does have handles – you just can’t see them in the photo.

According to the seller, these Seedeaters Gift Cards are, “Hand made using collected and rescued fabric with hand drawn details. The card used is between 75 and 100 percent recycled, the majority of which is post consumer waste paper. The envelopes, are 100% recycled.”

I’m not the biggest fan of cards in almost any form – just because it’s got to be one of the least earth friendly ways to send love and caring. However, once in a while I will send a card with a letter inside (to make use of the space) and Cedar and I will make them out of recycled goods. But, I just couldn’t resist this adorable bird design. If you send a recycled card try to write more than just your name. Make the card something full of happy thoughts – in my mind that can help to offset the energy it takes to send a card and the paper use.

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Here’s the bag – looks pretty handy, right?

But, what about when you forget your bag at home. Then you’re stuck using paper or plastic – while your reusable bag just sits at home. Bummer.

The flip & tumble 24-7 bag solves this annoying problem. Their bag can be easily rolled into a little peach-sized ball – a ball so tidy, it even fits in your car cup holder, the palm of your hand, your purse, your pocket (ok, a big pocket, but still).

When unrolled, the bag is strong enough to hold 20 lbs worth of goodies. And yes, it’s easy…

Available in teal, neon lime, brown, and black. Check out Flip & Tumble; and never be without your reusable bag again.

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