Adsorption and recovery of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution through ultrafiltration technique with polyethersulfone (PES) membrane was developed. Cationic dye MB can be adsorbed by PES membrane from aqueous solution. The amount of adsorbed MB on PES membrane was higher at the condition of basic solution and lower ionic strength. The electrostatic interaction may be the important driving force of MB adsorption. During ultrafiltration, the rejection ratio of MB can reach 100% in the initial operation stage due to convection mass transport through membrane pores and adsorption of MB on the surface and pores of PES membrane. The final recovery of MB in the permeate solution was easily achieved by decreasing the solution pH to desorb MB. The adsorption and recovery of dyes from aqueous solution through ultrafiltration technique have potential application in wastewater treatment. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.