The shelf-to-screen shift: How packaging is powering D2C brands in a quick commerce world

Nat Habit, backed by Fireside Ventures, Bertelsmann India Investments and others, has transitioned a significant portion of its packaging to recycled PET (rPET), even though it is more expensive. “As Nat Habit grew, PET bottles became our largest packaging material stream, making virgin plastic our biggest environmental footprint,” says Das. Now, 72% of the brand’s PET bottles are made from rPET. Das says that while rPET adds ₹6–8 per kilogram to material costs, it helps offset ₹3–4 per unit in Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) liabilities, India’s regulatory framework, which makes brands financially responsible for collecting, recycling, or offsetting the packaging waste they generate.