<p>This research evaluates the feasibility of using phenolic compounds extracted from olive pomace, a readily available waste in Chile, as an organic depressant in the flotation of copper sulfide minerals containing arsenic. Their performance was directly compared with lime (calcium oxide, CaO), a standard depressant commonly used in Chile, which shows limited effectiveness in reducing arsenic and raises economic, environmental, and health concerns. Flotation tests assessed metallurgical recoveries of copper and arsenic to maximize arsenic depression without compromising copper recovery. At pH 11, phenolic compounds achieved a separation of 73.5% (Cu 97.25%, As 23.75%), markedly higher than the 27.49% separation obtained with lime under the same conditions. These findings support the potential of olive-derived polyphenols as an effective and sustainable alternative for arsenic-bearing copper flotation.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>