Some ideas to explore here: improvement, marginal improvement, scarcity, marginal scarcity, externalities We buy new shit because it's better than the old shit

Some ideas to explore here: improvement, marginal improvement, scarcity, marginal scarcity, externalities We buy new shit because it's better than the old shit in some way. If the thing we want to buy is scarce it will cost a lot. At some point, something in the thing may become scarce, but it is not now. Externalities - the cost to put something in household garbage is mostly dependent on volume, not on the value of the item, or if it is recyclable or reusable.