These days, it's hip to be green. That's thanks, in part, to Bay Area-based environmentalist Zem Joaquin.

The 30-something mother of two (her husband is tech entrepreneur James Joaquin) started Ecofabulous in 2003, long before eco-friendly fashion and sustainable design were part of the cultural lexicon. Plenty of folks were preaching sustainability back then, but few taught consumers how to practice it in their everyday lives—not to mention how to do it with style. On Ecofabulous, however, Joaquin helps readers be conscious with a bit of panache, offering them ideas from latest green beauty products to carbon footprint-shrinking renovation projects.

One of Joaquin's favorite activities is transforming throwaway items into keepsakes. If you can buy something that's been used before, she says, "don't ever buy it new." To help trumpet her case for reuse projects, the editor has joined forces with eBay's Green Team to hold the first-ever Creative Reuse Competition. From November 4-19, participants can submit examples of DIY projects made from reused items. The winner, chosen online by eBay Green Team members and fans, will receive a $1,000 credit and a chance to shop the site with Joaquin.

To submit a project or join the Green Team, sign up here . (Membership is free.) For the duration of the collaboration, the Green Team site will feature custom content from Joaquin, including her reusable product Pick of the Day, as well as videos and slideshows on how to make your home stylish and sustainable. Every person who signs up for the Green Team will have $1 donated on his or her behalf to Global Green USA, an environmental group that aims to create healthy, affordable green homes, schools and communities.

Joaquin talked with The Inside Source about the collaboration as well as her everyday inspirations. Then she rounded up five eBay items ideal for reuse.

The Inside Source: You have an interesting background. Want to elaborate?

Zem Joaquin: Sure. I was born on Joan Baez's commune [in Northern California] and in my formative years spent time between Los Angeles, where my father worked in the film industry, and San Francisco, where my mother worked in publishing. As a young adult, I lived all over Europe, including London, Paris, Milan and Brussels. In London, I headed up a hardwood flooring design firm, and that's where I cut my teeth in the design business. I always had sustainability in the back of my mind, but it's less about "being green" to me and more about not being wasteful. When I was at college at Pepperdine University [in Malibu, Calif.] I started the campus recycling program, but I never saw myself as some sort of activist. It was just common sense.

TIS: How did the idea for Ecofabulous come about?

ZJ: About six years ago, I heard William McDonough [co-author of the influential Cradle To Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, a 2002 book about green design as the next Industrial Revolution] speak, and then I read his book. It provided the framework for me to live my life. Suddenly it all made sense. When I started designing my house in the Bay Area, I realized that there were no authentic, reliable resources on how to do it in a sustainable fashion. I was planning on attending the TED conference [a high profile conference on new ideas in a variety of industries] that year as a representative of [environmental non-profit] Global Green USA, so I decided to create a blog outlining my remodeling journey to show to those who were attending the conference. In the blog, I included the companies I was sourcing products from as well as thoughts on what it really means to remodel, decorate and build consciously. Six days into writing my blog, the editor-in-chief of House and Garden called me up. She appointed me green editor of the magazine. I was soon doing radio and television spots, and it just took off from there.

TIS: Did you seek investors to build-up the site?

ZJ: Nope, it's been my investment from the beginning.

TIS: Six years ago, you were one of the few eco-focused style blogs. Now, there are thousands. How do you remain relevant and unique?

ZJ: Our criteria for coverage is really strict: It has to be sustainable. Although I have a team working for me, I still personally check every product we feature to ensure it's legitimate. And unlike a lot of blogs, we don't sell anything. We're not influenced by trying to promote products. You cannot pay to be on the site. [Editors' note: eBay posts are paid sponsorships, as designated by the phrase "presented by the eBay Green Team" on every post.] Also, I'm insanely personally passionate about sustainable style. As an editor, I always stay a few steps ahead of what's new so that I can inform my readers first. We are lucky because we've had six years to become an authority and be trusted. But I'm glad there are more sites that are addressing these issues. The more the merrier!

TIS: It's interesting that you use the word "sexy" in your tag line (which reads: "sexy. sustainable. style.") What's sexy about sustainability?
 

ZJ: I think Arianna Huffington described what I do best. She said that I seduce people into going green. I don't believe in eco-guilt—or shaming someone into it. Going green isn't a bad thing. Sexy, to me, are things that are alluring, and everything we feature is not only sustainable, but also alluring.

TIS: Your partnership with eBay's Green Team begins November 4. Along with videos and projects, it includes your favorite item from the site each day through November 19. How do you use eBay in your personal life?
 

ZJ: I use Kijiji [a free local classifieds site owned by eBay]a lot. It's really important to source locally if you can, especially when it comes to big items like furniture. I've bought a lot of chairs off of Kijiji. Another thing I love is that you can search on eBay by zip code. I always search within my area first, and keep expanding my search until I find what I'm looking for. Reusing is great, but reusing items sourced locally is even better.

TIS: Other than the eBay partnership, what's going on with ecofabulous that you're excited about?

ZJ: I'm speaking at the Opportunity Green conference this weekend. It's is a gathering of passionate, environmentalist entrepreneurs. I'm also excited about the eco-to-go trend, which is really rewarding and easy: When you order take out, make sure that the restaurant doesn't give you any condiments, napkins or plastic cutlery—just the food. At our office, we each have our own set of cutlery that we reuse. I'd really like to put an end to disposability. As Bill McDonough says, "There is no other way." The other day, for example, I brought in plates and cutlery for snack time at my child's school: 20 kids, 20 plates. I took home 20 plates. It took ten minutes to wash them at home. No big deal!

Zem Joaquin's Five eBay Items Ideal for Reuse

1. Settee Bench Palm Trees Tropical Island Sofa (buy it now price, $179)

ZJ: I'd reupholster this with sustainable fabrics.

 

2. Vintage Wire Rocker Chair (starting bid, $49.99)

ZJ: I don't think I have ever bought a new chair. I love redoing the seats.

 

3. Hollywood Regency Fauteuil Arm Chairs (buy It now price, $825)
 

ZJ: I actually have a similar pair that I didn't do anything to! With these, I might suggest painting them a brighter color."
 

4. Telephone Bench (buy it now price, $135)

ZJ: We used something similar in a project with eBay's Green Team. I loved how it turned out. You can turn a frumpy piece into something young and spirited.


 

5. White Sleigh Bed With Trundle (buy it now price, $1,000)
 

ZJ: I just painted my [six-year-old] daughter's bed black. It's similar to this. Now I'll get another 8 years out of it. It cost me maybe $50 to redo it.

Lauren Sherman is a fashion and culture writer based in Brooklyn. She spent the last four years on staff at Forbes.