Where do current environmental problems come from? It has been detected that one of the main causes is the disposition and management given to products post-use. The aim of this article is to explore the origin of the problems caused by industrial waste and post-use products and to analyze the consequences on the environment, the economy and society, with the result that the problem has been repeated with increasing intensity since pre-Socratic times. To do this, the exploratory consultation of books, articles, magazines, world and local events in databases of Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil), were used which show the reactions of society and therefore the solutions that have wanted to be implemented to achieve a more sustainable development. From the solutions proposed for these problems, lines of global