Collection of used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles in fiscal 2001 rose to 40.1 percent of the total produced during the year, the Environment Ministry said Thursday.

The collection rate for PET bottle recycling rose for the seventh consecutive year to 161,651 tons of 402,727 tons manufactured.

The collection rate last year was 34.5 percent.

Nearly 96 percent of the bottles collected were recycled into various goods, including fiber for clothing, egg cartons and planters. However, the rise in the recycling rate was outpaced by a more than 10 percent jump in PET bottle production, the ministry said.

Ministry officials said they think they will be able to meet the government target of recycling 50 percent of all PET bottles by fiscal 2004, but this hinges on the actions of municipalities that do not have collection systems.

At present, 80 percent of municipalities -- which account for more than 90 percent of Japan's population -- collect PET bottles, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, collection of paper and plastic containers, which began in fiscal 2000, remained low. Only 34.5 percent of municipalities are collecting plastic containers, while a mere 12.4 percent are collecting paper ones. The amount of glass, steel, aluminum, cardboard and paper beverage containers collected and recycled were nearly on par with fiscal 2000 levels, the ministry added.