This paper is a literature review about the use of wastes in masonry mortar. Wastes such as wood waste ash, municipal solid waste, ground waste seashells, glass waste, fly ash, corn cob ash and palm oil fuel ash are used to replace cement as the binding material. Wastes of Cathode Ray Tube (CRTs) glass, plastic waste, construction demolition wastes, foundry sand and quarry dust are used as a replacement for fine aggregates. Additives such as recycled copper tailings and animal proteins also improve the properties of masonry mortar. It is learnt that certain percentages of wastes can be used as substitutes for binding materials and fine aggregates and therefore the ideal amount of waste can be determined.