Abstract The extraction and sorption of copper from wastewaters can be improved by applying solvent-impregnated resins (SIRs) with chelating organic extractant. The SIRs are capable of increasing the sorption capacity of expensive ion-exchange resin in order to enhance the performance of traditional liquid–liquid extraction by organic solvents thus reducing copper pollution in water. In this present study, macroporous non-ionogenic styrene-divinylbenzene polymeric sorbent (Porolas) matrix was impregnated with diisopropyldithiophosphoric acid (DIPDTP) to enhance Cu 2+ sorption in aqueous system. The influence of pore-filling degree (0–100%) by DIPDTP on copper sorption from aqueous chloride solution (pH = 1.95–10.7) was also evaluated. Higher degree of pore-filling by DIPDTP led to a significant decrease of the specific surface area ( S BET ) of the DIPDTP-Porolas sorbents, confirming an effective impregnation. The Cu 2+ adsorption isotherm fitted well for Freundlich isotherm, and the maximum K F (8.45 g L −1 ) was obtained for 50% DIPDTP-Porolas with 97–99% Cu 2+ uptake due to the formation of Cu 2+ –complexes, CuCl t L 2- t (HL) q . The Cu 2+ adsorption kinetic followed pseudo-second-order kinetic model at pH = 4–5 while the Lemna minor ecotoxicity test revealed absence of toxic secondary pollution of wastewater. The DIPDTP-impregnated Porolas was found to be an efficient sorbent for simple, safe, and environment-friendly extraction of Cu 2+ from industrial wastewaters using small amount of organic solvent.