Planned obsolescence, wherein things are made so cheaply that it is cheaper to replace a broken item than to repair it, is a horrible system; unfortunately, a large portion of our economy is based on it. Many people are surprised to find out that I drive an 11 year-old car... and more surprised to find out that it has better mileage and lower maintenance costs than their late-model cars.
Freecycle.org is an example of a system intended to avoid the landfill by allowing people to recycle no-longer-needed items (from clothing to furniture to appliances) at no cost, and little inconvenience, to themselves, by posting items available and items wanted on an internet BBS - of course, there are people who try to take advantage of that system as well, by posting for diamond rings, cars, and similar items that they want, and can't (or are not willing to) pay for. Still, such organizations are a great way to avoid landfilling unwanted items, as are thrift stores such as those run by Goodwill and the ARC - all reasonable options for those who don't want to add to the landfill and don't want to hold a yard sale. Other non-profits (schools, charities, animal shelters, etc.) are also happy to take items you no longer need that are useful for their facilities or clientele - that's how I got rid a doghouse that came with my house that my dog wouldn't use; I gave it to a shelter, which sold it to raise money to help run their facility, and I got a tax write-off - and the dog house went to a dog that needed it, instead of a landfill.
Another idea is free recycling through the city (or whoever picks up the trash) where you live - Denver has a free recycling program in which recyclable items, including cans, glass, some plastic, and cardboard, can be left out in bins with every other trash pickup (so, every 2 weeks) at no additional cost - recycling in Denver is much more prevalent than it used to be, because it is now easy, convenient, predictable, and doesn't take much time or room to participate.
The only way to address this concern is through a change in societal thinking - a return to paying for quality, rather than quantity - and therefore increasing the investment people have in what they buy, which would reduce impulse buys on the large, low-cost items that are now clogging the landfills - furniture, cars (car leases lead to frequent turnover), computers (many of which contain toxic substances such as mercury), electronics (remember 8 track tapes? or beta videotapes?) - which leads to needing the newest and best of everything, adding perfectly good, useable items to the landfill because they take up space needed by the newer item.
