Recycling keeps waste out of landfills, reduces dependence on oil and creates jobs.

The words "sustainable" and "sustainability" have become the catch-phrases, or terms, for today's green movement. The word "sustainability" comes from the Latin sustinere, which means "to hold up". It is most commonly used to refer to efforts to maintain an ecological balance on our planet and to preserve the well being of Earth's environment and inhabitants.

People can take steps toward contributing to Earth's sustainability in many ways, including by developing and using renewable energy, growing their own vegetables, driving electric cars and limiting their use of water and electricity.

Ecycler.com provides a new way of contributing to sustainability through recycling. The web site makes it easier for people to discard their used aluminum cans, plastic bottles and newspapers by finding people in their local communities who want to collect the items. Those collectors can then provide sustainability for themselves and their families by earning money redeeming the recyclables for cash.

Incinerating 10,000 tons of waste creates one job; sending 10,000 tons of waste to landfills creates six jobs and recycling 10,000 tons of waste creates 36 jobs, according to earth911.com. When people choose to give their aluminum cans, bottles and newspapers to collectors via ecycler.com, it creates income for those who wish to redeem the recyclables for cash.

Earth911 estimates that the national recycling rate of 30% saves the equivalent of more than five billion gallons of gasoline, reducing dependence on foreign oil by 114 million barrels. The goal of ecycler.com is to increase the national recycling rate by making it easier for people to recycle.

According to the EPA, about 75% of what is found in the average garbage can is recyclable. Recycling and composting diverted 68 million tons of material away from landfills and incinerators in 2001, up from 34 million tons in 1990, the EPA estimates.