![Empty PET bottles gathered for recycling.](https://resource-recycling.com/plastics/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/11/PET-bottles-111518-By-Wachiwit_Shutterstock_1196091427-web-1024x683.jpg)
Resin sales for plastic bottle production grew to nearly 9.9 billion pounds in 2018. | Wachiwit/Shutterstock
More plastic bottles were recycled in 2018 than the prior year. But because of an overall bottle production increase, the recycling rate fell.