The potential use of emulsion liquid membranes (ELMs) with LIX 7950 as the mobile carrier to remove heavy metals from waste cyanide solutions has been proposed. Relatively stable ELMs with reasonable leakage and swelling can be formed under suitable mixing time and speed during emulsification. The concentration of LIX 7950 and Span 80 in the membrane phase, KOH in the internal phase and the volume ratio of membrane to internal phases are also critical to ELM formation. The efficiency of copper and cyanide removal from dilute cyanide solution by ELMs is related to ELM stability to some extent. More than 90% copper and cyanide can be removed from dilute cyanide solutions by ELMs formed under suitable experimental conditions.