Natural materials (e.g. clays) and synthetic materials (e.g. geosynthetics) are commonly applied as low hydraulic conductivity layers and environmental protection barriers in civil engineering works for storing solid wastes and wastewaters (e.g. solid waste landfilling, wastewater lagoons and mining waste ponds) for both covering and bottom impermeabilization of soils structures. However, due to a future shortage of clay materials and their high transport costs, in addition to geosynthetics generating more waste and presenting high costs, two needs emerge: reducing the amount of waste generated and developing strategies for preventing this waste from infiltrating the soil and ground water. One of the possible solutions consists in the use of some geotechnically applicable residues to prevent soil infiltration. Thus, the use of waste materials is particularly advantageous since it can considerably reduce construction costs, help preserve natural resources, and contribute to sustainability by turning “waste” materials into “valuable resource”. Many by-products of industry and waste (fly and bottom coal ash, blast furnace slag, foundry sands, water treatment plant sludge, agroindustry ashes, incinerated biomass ash, red mud, drilling mud and mine waste, among others) have been extensively studied as to their suitability as a geomaterial and showed promising results for use in waterproofing barriers (liners). The most significant factors that depend on hydraulic conductivity are index properties, compaction characteristics and compressive strength, so, in this aspect, hydraulic, mechanical, physical-chemical and mineralogical properties determine the valorisation, or not, of the waste as liner material. Industrial wastes and geocomposites acting as hydraulic barriers material literature were reviewed and analysed its actual applications such as lack of researches suggesting future investigations.