This paper describes laboratory-scale experiments for examining the impact of microwave-irradiation on the regeneration of agricultural-waste based activated carbons loaded with methylene blue (MB). The efficacy of the regeneration study was analyzed by determining the carbon yield and amount of MB adsorbed in successive adsorption-regeneration cycles. The virgin characteristics were examined by pore-structural-analysis, nitrogen adsorption-desorption curve, surface acidity/basicity and zeta potential-measurement. Microwave heating preserved the porous structure of the regenerated activated carbons efficiently to restore the original activate sites and adsorption capacity, with the specific surface areas (S-BET) of 605.88-711.74 m(2)/g and monolayer adsorption capacities for MB of 199.74-231.68 mg/g. Besides, the regeneration time was considerably shortened over conventional regeneration method, which represents a dramatic improvement in the adsorption chemistry. (C) 2018 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.