Processes for recovering dialkyl terephthalates from polyester compositions

A process for recovering one or more dialkyl terephthalates from a polyester composition, comprising:

• exposing a first polyester composition to a first composition comprising one or more glycols and methanol in a first reaction vessel under depolymerization conditions to provide a first mixture, the first mixture comprising one or more first depolymerization products, and wherein the depolymerization conditions comprise a temperature of from 150° C. to 260° C. and a pressure of 10 atm to 70 atm;
• cooling at least a portion of the first mixture to a temperature of 150° C. or below;
• exposing the at least a portion of the first mixture to an alcohol composition and an alcoholysis catalyst under conditions including a temperature of from 23° C. to 90° C., and a pressure of from 1 atm to 2 atm for 0.5 hours to 5 hours to provide a second mixture, the second mixture comprising one or more dialkyl terephthalates;
• and separating at least a portion of the one or more dialkyl terephthalates by solid-liquid separation to provide a dialkyl terephthalate solid component and a filtrate.