• Sustainable materials offer eco-friendly, cost-effective, and biocompatible alternatives for THz functional devices, addressing electronic waste concerns.
• The review systematically covers sources and types of sustainable materials and their advantages in high-performance THz device fabrication.
• Applications span wireless communication, molecular sensing, and biomedical detection, with emphasis on hazardous substance and protein detection.
• Challenges and future prospects in intelligent modulation and perception of sustainable materials-assisted THz devices are highlighted.