End of life
Modelling recycling, incineration and landfilling
The end-of-life stage of a product is modelled using statistical waste treatment data, material-specific recycling rates and the Circular Footprint Formula (CFF) in accordance with EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) guidance.
This ensures consistent allocation of recycling benefits and realistic treatment assumptions.
Methodological alignment
The End-of-Life modelling:
- Follows EU Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) guidance (European Commission, 2021)
- Let the user evaluate whether the products components are “Fit for disassembly”
- Applies product category specific recyclability percentages
- Applies mandatory PEF product specific recyclability percentages and country specific fractions of incineration and landfilling.
- Uses highly geography specific datasets for emissions from incineration and landfilling.
Recycling rate – furniture
Evidence suggests that recycling of furniture remains limited.
According to European sector statistics (UEA; European Environment Agency, 2017):
- Approximately 15% of furniture waste is recycled or reused
- The remaining share is primarily incinerated or landfilled
Recycling rate – electrical product
According to European sector statistics (THE GLOBAL E-WASTE MONITOR 2024, Cornelis et al, Unitar, page 96)
- Approximately 43% of electrical waste was documented as formally collected and recycled in 2022. The remaining share is assumed incinerated or landfilled.
Recycling typically concerns:
- Metal components
- Plastic, cardboard and glass from packaging
Allocation of
recycling benefits
Recycling credits are calculated using the Circular Footprint Formula (CFF).
The CFF distributes the environmental benefit of recycled material between:
- The input to the raw material stage
- The output from the end-of-life stage
This prevents double counting and ensures consistency with EU methodology.
Material-specific A-factors are applied in accordance with PEF guidance.
This factor guarantees that cradle-to-cradle products receive greater recycling credit than cradle-to-grave products.
Incineration and landfilling
After recycling, approximately 85% of furniture and 57% of electrical product materials are treated through:
- Incineration with energy recovery
- Landfilling
The distribution between incineration and landfill depends on regional waste infrastructure.
Electricity and heat recovery from incineration are modelled using geographically specific residual energy mixes.
Incineration and landfilling
After recycling, approximately 85% of furniture materials are treated through:
- Incineration with energy recovery
- Landfilling
The distribution between incineration and landfill depends on regional waste infrastructure.
Electricity and heat recovery from incineration are modelled using geographically specific residual energy mixes.