Product Lifespan and Consumerism

I like the fact that every now and then there will be a preachy documentary or TV program that reminds us how wasteful we are - because we tend to forget. This BBC2 program 'Men that made us spend' asks some very valid questions. The companies of this world have become very good at creating, producing and making a profit. However, there doesn't seem to be enough economic incentives to complete the product life cycle loop, one that includes converting obsolete products back to usable raw materials. To the extent that usable older products that are still in boxes that have never been opened are being thrown away. Why?

I don't blame people for wanting to buy things, but if the world is going to operate under this model then surely we also need satisfactory solutions to deal with its weaknesses for it to be sustainable. Is there a missing component in our modern economies? Is it due to lack of the technologies required? I have heard that it's more expensive to recycle than it is to make new products, why does that have to be the case? Surely there are ways of turning all these wastes into gold, or at least into good use. I wonder what can be done and if there are any brilliant ideas out there.

Nb. Charities comes to mind as I was writing this. Many of us have given things we don't need to charity shops before. Many of us also from time to time find good bargain items (such as furnitures) in these shops. This is perhaps one example of what can be done at the more immediate level. But what about further downstream, when the items are no longer usable?