Abstract: Vinyl chloride is removed from gas streams that contain from 10 ppm to 100 mole percent of vinyl chloride by passing the gas stream through a bed of coconut shell-derived or petroleum-derived activated carbon. The exit gas stream contains less than 5 ppm of vinyl chloride.The vinyl chloride-saturated carbon is treated with steam at 100.degree.-150.degree.C. to desorb the vinyl chloride, which is then recovered. The wet carbon is contacted with an inert gas at 90.degree.-150.degree.C. until its water content is less than 1% by weight; the hot dry carbon is cooled to ambient temperature by contacting it with a cold inert gas. The regenerated activated carbon is then used to remove additional vinyl chloride from the gas stream.The vinyl chloride adsorption-carbon regeneration cycle can be repeated for long periods of time without loss of adsorptive capacity of the activated carbon or formation of polyvinyl chloride on the surface of the carbon.