a)producing a vinyl acetate based polymer or copolymer;b)contacting the vinyl acetate based polymer or copolymer with a base and methanol under conditions sufficient to form a polymer or copolymer of vinyl alcohol and a methyl acetate byproduct stream;c)directing the methyl acetate byproduct stream to a purification process comprising extractive distillation to form a purified methyl acetate stream; and,d)directing the purmed methyl acetate stream to a methanol carbonylation process.