Defective coffee press cake, a residue from coffee oil biodiesel production, was evaluated as raw material for production of an adsorbent for removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. Batch adsorption tests were performed at 25 degrees C and the effects of particle size, contact time, adsorbent dosage and pH were investigated. Preliminary adsorption tests indicated that thermal treatment is necessary in order to improve adsorption capacity. Adsorption kinetics was determined by fitting first and second-order kinetic models to the experimental data, with the second-order model providing the best description of MB adsorption onto the prepared adsorbent. The experimental adsorption equilibrium data were fitted to Langmuir, Freundlich and Temkin adsorption models, with the last two providing the best fits. The experimental data obtained in the present study indicated that this type of waste material is a suitable candidate for use in the production of adsorbents for removal of cationic dyes, thus contributing for the implementation of sustainable development in both the coffee and biodiesel production chains. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.