DRS are widely used internationally including in Germany, several Scandinavian countries and, more recently, the Republic of Ireland, external.
Keep Wales Tidy said the statistics showed significantly reduced drinks-container litter, improved the quality of collected materials, and enabled higher-value recycling or reuse.
Derbyshire said he felt this highlighted the economic benefits that could come from implementing a DRS for glass items.
“The quality of the glass is quite poor when it comes to remanufacturing bottles and businesses desperately need that inflow of material,” he said.
“DRS has provided that. So it actually does in the long term drive down costs.”
Derbyshire said he understood the anxiety among small and medium enterprises as it represented a “big shift in the way that industries do things”.
“But actually, there’s investments in the circular economy in Wales and across the UK. It’s an investment in cleaner communities,” he added.
While the scheme is being launched next year, Derbyshire pointed out that it featured an “incredibly generous” four-year transition period for glass, to help producers and retailers adapt to the new requirements.
