▁ed ible ▁food ▁never ▁gets ▁e aten . ▁Every ▁year ▁$ 4 3 ▁billion ▁worth ▁of ▁ed ible ▁food ▁is ▁estimated ▁to ▁be ▁thrown ▁away . ▁ ▁Pl anned ▁ob sol esc ence ▁" Pl anned ▁ob sol esc ence " ▁is ▁a ▁manufact uring ▁philosophy ▁developed ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁when ▁mass ▁production ▁became ▁popular . ▁ ▁The ▁goal ▁is ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁product ▁or ▁part ▁that ▁will ▁fail , ▁or ▁become ▁less ▁des irable ▁over ▁time ▁or ▁after ▁a ▁certain ▁amount ▁of ▁use . ▁V ance ▁Pack ard , ▁author ▁of ▁The ▁W aste ▁Mak ers , ▁book ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁called ▁this ▁" the ▁system atic ▁attempt ▁of ▁business ▁to ▁make ▁us ▁waste ful , ▁deb t - rid den , ▁perman ently ▁dis content ed ▁individuals ." ▁ ▁Dur ability ▁of ▁goods ▁ ▁Produ cers ▁make ▁goods ▁dispos able ▁rather ▁than ▁dur able ▁so ▁that ▁consum ers ▁must ▁continue ▁to ▁rep urchase ▁the ▁good , ▁ear ning ▁the ▁producer ▁a ▁steady ▁supply ▁of ▁customers , ▁rather ▁than ▁a ▁one - time ▁purchase . ▁Prof it ▁is ▁maxim ized ▁for ▁the ▁firm ▁when ▁the ▁useful ness ▁of ▁a ▁good ▁is ▁" une conom ically ▁short ", ▁because ▁fir ms ▁can ▁spend ▁the ▁least ▁amount ▁possible ▁creating ▁a ▁n ond urable ▁good , ▁which ▁they ▁sell ▁repeatedly ▁to ▁the ▁customer . ▁ ▁Good s ▁are ▁often ▁replaced ▁even ▁before ▁their ▁useful ness ▁runs ▁out