The exponential growth of electronic consumption and planned obsolescence has intensified the environmental and social challenges associated with Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) all over the world. Despite the strategic value of recoverable materials, much of this waste remains improperly managed, exacerbated by regulatory gaps, infrastructural limitations, and social inequality. Addressing this issue demands an interdisciplinary and participatory approach to sustainability. This study proposes a structured roadmap for sustainable e-waste management in Colombia, which would inspire other countries in Latin America through the integration of a systematic literature review and a comparative analysis of practices and regulations in Latin America. Barriers, opportunities, and best practices applicable to the Colombian context are identified. The methodology includes a SWOT analysis and the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) technique, enabling the structuring of strategies to improve infrastructure, public policies, and environmental education. The study proposes validation by sustainability experts to support the potential phased implementation of the roadmap prototype, promoting more efficient and sustainable management of electronic waste generated in Colombia. Central to this approach is the application of the Creative Problem Solving (CPS) method—not only as a tool for ideation but as a pedagogical and strategic framework for enabling sustainability-oriented innovations.
By adapting CPS beyond its traditional creativity applications, this study positions it as a high-impact methodology for confronting complex sustainability problems, as previously validated in sustainability education through biomimicry-driven innovation. The CPS framework guides the construction of a roadmap through four phases: problem clarification, ideation, development of contextual solutions, and phased implementation. These stages enabled the articulation of a strategic plan to strengthen policy, infrastructure, and education in WEEE management, validated by expert feedback. Findings underscore CPS’s utility in fostering collaborative, ethically grounded, and locally appropriate responses to sustainability challenges, making it particularly relevant for training sustainability leaders and decision-makers in Latin America.
Keywords: WEEE, circular economy, creative problem solving (CPS), extended producer responsibility, sustainable innovation, ethical leadership, sustainability education.