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Polymeric waste is an environmental problem, with an annual world production of approximately 368 million metric tons, and increasing every year. Therefore, different strategies for polymer waste treatment have been developed, and the most common are (1) redesign, (2) reusing and (3) recycling. The latter strategy represents a useful option to generate new materials. This work reviews the emerging trends in the development of adsorbent materials obtained from polymer wastes. Adsorbents are used in filtration systems or in extraction techniques for the removal of contaminants such as heavy metals, dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other organic compounds from air, biological and water samples. The methods used to obtain different adsorbents are detailed, as well as the interaction mechanisms with the compounds of interest (contaminants). The adsorbents obtained are an alternative to recycle polymeric and they are competitive with other materials applied in the removal and extraction of contaminants. [Display omitted] • Recycling of polymeric wastes is an option to generate adsorbent materials. • Adsorbents obtained from polymeric waste are employed in filtration systems removal and extraction techniques. • Polymeric waste can be reuse to generate adsorbents with several morphologies. • Adsorbents produced from plastic wastes are competitive with commercial synthetic adsorbents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]