We tried to utilize elutrilithe, coal waste, as a starting material to produce a low-cost adsorbent as a substitute for activated carbons. The elutrilithe was chemically activated with zinc chloride. The activated products were characterized by nitrogen adsorption isotherms, thermogravimetric analysis(TGA), and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The BET and alpha(s)-plot method were used to evaluate surface area and micropore volume of the samples. A systematic investigation of the effect of ZnCl2/elutrilithe ratios, activation temperatures, and activation time on the properties of the adsorbents was carried out. Since the carbon in the matrix was activated, the elutrilithe became a highly microporous material so that the adsorption behavior of the substrate was significantly improved. As a result, the new composite adsorbent exhibited high affinities toward organic compounds and an adsorption capacity comparable to a commercial activated carbon.