<p>The presence of antibiotics in aquatic environments poses risks to public health and ecosystem, particularly due to the promotion of antimicrobial resistance. Rifampicin (RIF), a chemically stable and biologically active antibiotic, is increasingly detected in wastewater streams and remains insufficiently removed by conventional treatment processes. In this study, cellulosic residue based reduced graphene oxide (RC-rGO) was synthesized from cotton textile waste via a simplified ferrocene-assisted thermal carbonization route and evaluated as an adsorbent for RIF removal from aqueous solutions. Structural and surface characterization (XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, HRTEM, BET analysis, and zeta potential measurements) confirmed with a surface area of 208 m²&#xa0;g⁻¹ and average pore diameter of 3.16&#xa0;nm. The resulting turbostratic graphene exhibits heterogeneous surface chemistry and mesoporosity favorable for adsorption for RIF, achieving &gt; 95% removal efficiency at pH 5 and equilibrium in 120&#xa0;min. Kinetic analysis demonstrated that the pseudo-second-order model provided the best statistical fit, based on R² (&gt; 0.95), as well as lower SSE and X² values compared to the other evaluated models. Equilibrium data were best described by the Freundlich model, indicating heterogeneous multilayer adsorption. Thermodynamic analysis revealing a spontaneous and endothermic adsorption process (ΔH = 15.2&#xa0;kJ&#xa0;mol⁻¹, ΔG &lt; 0), while reusability studies demonstrated efficient performance after five regeneration cycles. The results indicate that RC-rGO derived from textile waste has potential application as adsorbent for the antibiotics removal prior to safe effluent discharge into receiving water bodies, while contributing to waste valorization within a circular economy framework.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>