Method for the production of cyclic esters of the general formula I in which a) in a first step, a part of a mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II wherein, in formulae I to II, each R is selected from linear or branched aliphatic radicals having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and, in formula II, the average value for n is between 2 and 40, is converted into the cyclic diester of the general formula I using cyclising depolymerisation and the thus arising cyclic diester of the general formula I is separated, wherein the part of the oligomer carboxylic acid of formula II which is not converted into the cyclic diester of the general formula I reacts into a residue during the cyclising depolymerisation, said residue containing a mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II having a higher average value for n than the mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II used in the first step, b) in a second step, the residue obtained in the first step is hydrolysed into a mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II, wherein the average value for n is between 1 and 20, into an alpha-hydroxy carboxylic acid of formula III or a mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II with an average value for n of between 1 and 20 and an alpha-hydroxy carboxylic acid of formula III, and c) the hydrolysate obtained in the second step is used at least partially or completely in the first step, characterised in that, the cyclising depolymerisation of the first step is carried out until a maximum of 98% b.w. of the used mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II is converted into the cyclic diester of general formula I using cyclising depolymerisation. a) in a first step, a part of a mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II wherein, in formulae I to II, each R is selected from linear or branched aliphatic radicals having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and, in formula II, the average value for n is between 2 and 40, is converted into the cyclic diester of the general formula I using cyclising depolymerisation and the thus arising cyclic diester of the general formula I is separated, wherein the part of the oligomer carboxylic acid of formula II which is not converted into the cyclic diester of the general formula I reacts into a residue during the cyclising depolymerisation, said residue containing a mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II having a higher average value for n than the mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II used in the first step, b) in a second step, the residue obtained in the first step is hydrolysed into a mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II, wherein the average value for n is between 1 and 20, into an alpha-hydroxy carboxylic acid of formula III or a mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II with an average value for n of between 1 and 20 and an alpha-hydroxy carboxylic acid of formula III, and c) the hydrolysate obtained in the second step is used at least partially or completely in the first step, characterised in that, the cyclising depolymerisation of the first step is carried out until a maximum of 98% b.w. of the used mixture of oligomer carboxylic acids of formula II is converted into the cyclic diester of general formula I using cyclising depolymerisation.