Poly(tetramethylglycolide), a chemical recyclable polymer, is currently attracting a lot of interest as a substitute for poly(L-lactic acid). We report here a simple and convenient route for the synthesis of tetramethylglycolide (TMG) from lactic acid. This method involves three steps: (1) one-step protection of lactic acid by cyclic acetalization employing acetone; (2) a-methylation of the obtained 2,2,5-trimethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-one; and (3) one-pot synthesis of TMG including the hydrolysis of 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-1,3-dioxolan-4-one. We found significant advantages of the incorporation of existing reactions in the synthesis of TMG.