A process for the preparation of ethylene carbonate and ethylene glycol comprising supplying an ethylene oxide absorber overhead stream to a condenser to produce a cooled recycle gas stream and one or more aqueous streams, heating at least a portion of said cooled recycle gas stream to provide a heated recycle gas stream , contacting said heated recycle gas stream with one or more guard bed materials in one or more guard bed systems positioned upstream of an ethylene oxide reactor to provide a treated recycle gas stream , contacting an epoxidation feed gas comprising ethylene, oxygen and at least a portion of said treated recycle gas stream with an epoxidation catalyst in ethylene oxide reactor to yield an epoxidation reaction product stream , contacting the epoxidation reaction product stream in an ethylene oxide absorber with a lean absorbent stream in the presence of a carboxylation and hydrolysis catalyst to yield a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol and an ethylene oxide absorber overhead stream , wherein cooled recycle gas stream is heated by heat exchange with a hot process stream selected from (i) the ethylene oxide absorber overhead stream , in a condenser ; (ii) steam produced in an ethylene glycol purification column overhead condenser, in a first heat exchanger located downstream of condenser ; (iii) steam produced by flashing one or more condensate streams collected in the process, in a second heat exchanger located downstream of condenser , or a combination thereof. supplying an ethylene oxide absorber overhead stream to a condenser to produce a cooled recycle gas stream and one or more aqueous streams, heating at least a portion of said cooled recycle gas stream to provide a heated recycle gas stream , contacting said heated recycle gas stream with one or more guard bed materials in one or more guard bed systems positioned upstream of an ethylene oxide reactor to provide a treated recycle gas stream , contacting an epoxidation feed gas comprising ethylene, oxygen and at least a portion of said treated recycle gas stream with an epoxidation catalyst in ethylene oxide reactor to yield an epoxidation reaction product stream , contacting the epoxidation reaction product stream in an ethylene oxide absorber with a lean absorbent stream in the presence of a carboxylation and hydrolysis catalyst to yield a fat absorbent stream comprising ethylene carbonate and/or ethylene glycol and an ethylene oxide absorber overhead stream , wherein cooled recycle gas stream is heated by heat exchange with a hot process stream selected from (i) the ethylene oxide absorber overhead stream , in a condenser ; (ii) steam produced in an ethylene glycol purification column overhead condenser, in a first heat exchanger located downstream of condenser ; (iii) steam produced by flashing one or more condensate streams collected in the process, in a second heat exchanger located downstream of condenser , or a combination thereof. (i) the ethylene oxide absorber overhead stream , in a condenser ; (ii) steam produced in an ethylene glycol purification column overhead condenser, in a first heat exchanger located downstream of condenser ; (iii) steam produced by flashing one or more condensate streams collected in the process, in a second heat exchanger located downstream of condenser , <EOS>