> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.maalbar.dk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# The Circular Footprint Formula (CFF) Explained

> Learn how the EU's Circular Footprint Formula allocates the environmental benefits and burdens of recycling between products in a circular economy.

In a circular economy, materials loop back into production rather than going to landfill. But this creates an accounting challenge: if a product uses recycled material, and that same material is later recycled again, who gets credit for the environmental benefit? The EU's **Circular Footprint Formula (CFF)** answers this question with a clear, standardised method — and it sits at the heart of how Målbar handles recycled materials in PEF-compliant calculations.

## The core problem CFF solves

When recycled materials are used in production, there is a real environmental benefit — less virgin material needs to be extracted and processed. But if both the product that *supplied* the recycled material and the product that *uses* it each claimed the full benefit, the same benefit would be counted twice across the system.

The CFF prevents double-counting by dividing the benefit fairly between the two products.

<Info>
  The Circular Footprint Formula is developed by the European Commission and is a mandatory part of PEF methodology.
</Info>

## How the CFF splits the benefit

The CFF determines that the environmental benefit of recycled content must be split into two portions:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Credit for using recycled material" icon="recycle">
    A portion of the benefit is given to the product that **uses** recycled material as an input — reflecting the avoided burden of extracting virgin material.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Credit for being recycled at end-of-life" icon="arrow-rotate-left">
    A portion of the benefit is given to the product that **is recycled** at end-of-life — reflecting the value of making that material available for the next life cycle.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

This split means no single product claims the entire environmental saving. Instead, the benefit is shared across the supply chain in proportion to the contribution each product makes.

## What this means in practice

The CFF applies in two phases of a product's life:

1. **Production phase** — if your product incorporates recycled materials, you receive a partial credit for the avoided virgin material burden.
2. **End-of-life phase** — if your product is designed to be recycled (and is actually recycled), you receive a partial credit for the material you return to the system.

<Tip>
  Designing for recyclability at end-of-life doesn't just reduce waste — it also improves your product's LCA score through the CFF credit. This is one concrete way circular design choices show up in Målbar's calculations.
</Tip>

## CFF and the waste hierarchy

The CFF works in conjunction with the waste hierarchy and end-of-life modelling. A product that uses recycled inputs *and* is designed for recycling at end-of-life benefits from credits in both phases — incentivising circularity across the full life cycle.

<Note>
  The CFF is applied automatically in Målbar when you model recycled material inputs or specify end-of-life recycling scenarios. You do not need to calculate the allocation manually.
</Note>

## Download the illustration

<Card title="Circular Footprint Formula illustration (PDF)" icon="file-arrow-down" href="https://www.maalbar.dk/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/CFF.pdf">
  Download the Målbar Academy step-by-step visual explainer for the CFF.
</Card>