Biochars prepared from anaerobic digestion residue (BC-R), palm bark (BC-PB) and eucalyptus (BC-E) were used as sorbents for removal of cationic methylene blue dye (MB). The FE-SEM images indicated that the biochars have a well-developed pore structure, and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas of BC-R, BC-PB, and BC-E were 7.60, 2.46, and 10.35 m(2) g(-1), respectively. The efficiencies of MB removal in the samples with initial concentrations of 5 mg L-1 at pH 7.0 and 40 degrees C by BC-R, BC-PB, and BC-E after 2 h were 99.5%, 99.3%, and 86.1%, respectively. Pseudo-second-order kinetics was the most suitable model for describing the adsorption of MB onto the biochars. The experimental data were best described by the Langmuir isotherm model, with a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 9.50 mg g(-1) at 40 degrees C for BC-R. The biochars produced from the three types of solid waste showed considerable potential for adsorption. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.