Human faces major problems regarding the environment. Although many materials are used to solve these problems, they are not so effective against them because they generate secondary pollution. Waste materials such as fly ash, biomass, red mud, and others material are used in various processes for effectively removing them. Also, the utilization of waste materials into valuable derivatives results in these materials' cost efficiency. Additionally, waste materials have several advanced properties like high surface area, high functional group, high adsorption capacity, etc. The efficiency of waste materials increases by incorporating nanoparticles, which are used for multifunctional applications. Nanoparticles may be stabilized and dispersed with the help of waste materials. In this review, (1) recent development in the waste-derived materials is discussed, (2) the properties and synthesis of waste materials are discussed, and (3) various process like adsorption, photodegradation, and advanced oxidation process (AOP) for environmental remediation are discussed. In conclusion, we have also provided future directions for the development of novel waste-based composite materials for efficient dealing with these kinds of problems.