a method for processing wastewater and exhaust gas condensates from the polymerization of vinyl acetate and ethylene and optionally other comonomers in an aqueous medium by suspension or emulsion polymerization employs relieving pressure after completion of the polymerization of the polymerization batch and discharging the polymer dispersion . during the relieving , the gaseous phase is removed by means of a compressor . optionally , the gaseous phase occurring during stripping is removed by the compressor and cooled by one or more heat exchangers before entry into the compressor . the liquid phases occurring in the compressor and optionally in the heat exchanger are separated from the gaseous phase and the liquid phases are given to a rectification column , and separated into a vinyl acetate monomer phase and a wastewater phase , and the vinyl acetate monomer phase is resupplied to polymerization .