Design to the Nines: Using Regenerative Materials to Restore Earth’s Nine Planetary Boundaries

The 2025 Living Future Materials Report, Design to the Nines: Using Regenerative Materials to Restore Earth’s Nine Planetary Boundaries, is a rallying call for the built environment to shift from sustainability to regeneration and reparation.

Drawing from the Stockholm Resilience Centre's Planetary Boundaries Framework, the report presents the case that materials are not passive products but active participants in planetary health. By examining how industrial processes, design choices, and supply chains impact climate, biodiversity, and human well-being, the report offers both vision and guidance for designing within Earth’s ecological limits.

Through compelling case studies and actionable recommendations, Design to the Nines demonstrates that regenerative outcomes are achievable now. Tools like the Common Materials Framework Implementation Toolkit and programs like the Living Product Challenge and the Declare ecolabel are accelerating a new materials economy rooted in transparency, circularity, and equity. The report celebrates companies already leading this charge and invites every designer, manufacturer, and decision-maker to join in rebuilding our material world so that both people and the planet can thrive.