Abstract: Styrene is recovered continuously from a styrene-containing mixture by distillation of the mixture in a cascade of n distillation columns, where (i) a feed stream comprising a stabilizer system is fed into the first column and/or a stabilizer system is introduced into at least one distillation column upstream of the nth distillation column, where the stabiliser system comprises N-oxyl radicals; (ii) a high boiler fraction having a boiling point higher than that of styrene and comprising the stabilizer system accumulates in the bottom of the nth distillation column; (iii) a substream of the high boiler fraction is recirculated and introduced into at least one distillation column upstream of the nth distillation column; (iv) the remainder of the high boiler fraction is discharged from the process.