Methods for recovering a metal from a metal-containing material are provided. In embodiments, such a method comprises exposing a metal-containing material to a leaching solution comprising a solvent and a binoxalate, a tetraoxalate, or a combination thereof, under conditions to provide a leachate comprising a soluble metal oxalate; inducing precipitation of a metal-containing precipitate comprising the metal of the soluble metal oxalate from the leachate; and recovering the metal-containing precipitate.