Recycling　methods　will　be　essential　for　the　future　circular　economy　in　the　context　of　declining　natural　resources.　Nanomaterials　are　promising　adsorbents　to　recover　rare　earth　elements　from　wastewater,　yet　the　practical　application　of　nanomaterials　is　limited　by　spontaneous　agglomeration,　easy　collapse　of　structures　and　the　difficulty　in　collecting　nanomaterials　after　adsorption.　To　solve　these　issues,　we　prepared　a　polyurethane　sponge-supported　titanium　phosphate　with　graphene　oxide,　abbreviated　as　GO@TiP-Sponge,　by　in　situ　precipitation.　GO@TiP-Sponge　was　characterized　by　X-ray　diffraction,　scanning　electron　microscope,　energy-dispersive　X-ray　spectroscopy　and　X-ray　photoelectron　spectroscopy,　and　tested　for　the　removal　and　recovery　of　trace　dysprosium　Dy(III),　a rare-earth　element,　in　water　using　batch　experiments.　Results　show　that　the　GO@TiP-Sponge　showed　an　excellent　affinity　for　dysprosium　with　theoretical　capacity　reaching　576.17 mg/g　according　to　the　Langmuir　model.　Half-equilibrium　was　reached　in　2.5 min　according　to　a　pseudo-second-order　model.　GO@TiP-Sponge　also　displayed　an　adsorption　ability　for　a　wide　range　of　pH　and　salinity.　Such　performance　is　explained　by　strong　binding　of　phosphate　with　Dy(III),　enhanced　surface　area　induced　by　graphene　oxide　and　less　aggregation　from　the　spongy　structure.　The　main　adsorption　mechanism　involves　electrostatic　interaction.　©　2020,　Springer　Nature　Switzerland　AG.