In Arc Raiders, the recycling mechanic serves as a crucial economic engine - transforming junk into the materials needed to craft weapons, gear, and workshop upgrades that keep raiders alive.
Recyclable vs Sellable items
Recyclable items display the "Recyclable" tag in their descriptions, and hovering over them reveals exactly what components they'll produce. These are items specifically designed for breakdown - from common junk like Remote Controls to rare finds like Power Cables.
Trinket items, marked with a diamond icon on their thumbnail and labeled as "Trinkets," serve an entirely different purpose. These aesthetic collectibles cannot be recycled at all; they exist solely for selling to traders for coins. The Music Box is a good example of a trinket.
Most other recovered items fall into the third category: materials and components already in refined form. These pieces typically stay in inventory for immediate crafting needs or workshop upgrades rather than being recycled.
Highest-value recycling opportunities
Certain items offer substantially more value when recycled and their components sold separately compared to selling the item directly.
Power Bank exemplifies this strategy perfectly - selling it whole brings 640 coins, but recycling yields 4× Battery and 2× Wires worth approximately 1,400 coins combined.
| Item | Sells For | Recycles Into | Component Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Bank | 640 coins | 4× Battery, 2× Wires | ~1,400 coins |
| Remote Control | 270 coins | 2× Plastic Parts, 1× Sensors | ~600 coins |
| Ice Cream Scooper | 270 coins | 7× Metal Parts | ~525 coins |
| Power Cable | 1,000 coins | 4× Wires | ~800 coins |
| Polluted Air Filter | 640 coins | 6× Fabric, 2× Oil | ~920 coins |
| Fried Motherboard | 1,000 coins | 5× Plastic Parts, 1× Electrical Components | ~1,300 coins |
Always check the recycling preview before committing. The in-game interface shows exactly what components you'll receive.
Premium items worth recycling for crafting needs
Beyond profit optimization, certain rare and epic items deserve recycling specifically for their crafting outputs rather than their cash value.
Advanced Electrical Components recycled yield 1× Electrical Components and 1× Wires - materials crucial for weapon crafting and utility bench construction. Advanced Mechanical Components break down into 1× Mechanical Components and 1× Wires, similarly vital for mid and late-game progression.
Items like Queen Reactor, while selling for an impressive 13,000 coins, can be recycled into Power Rod and Magnetic Accelerator components used in high-level weapon crafting.
Exodus Modules recycle into 2× Magnet and 1× Mechanical Components—essential for crafting advanced gadgets like the Snap Hook.
Rarer drops like Bastion Cell and Bombardier Cell each recycle into powerful component combinations including Advanced Mechanical Components and ARC Alloy, making them valuable for progression-focused players.
Items worth keeping despite recyclable status
Some materials carry workshop upgrade requirements that make selling or recycling them counterproductive early on. ARC Alloy appears in 18 different workshop upgrades and quests, making it worth stockpiling rather than converting. ARC Motion Core requirements appear in 5 different workbench improvements, while ARC Powercell (which cannot be recycled anyway) appears in 5 upgrades.
Power Cable only requires 3 workshop uses total but recycles into basic Wires, making early recycling wasteful. Similarly, Wasp Driver, Rusted Tools, and various driver items serve specific workshop functions that justify holding them until upgrades complete.
Basic materials like Metal Parts, Rubber Parts, Plastic Parts, and Fabric form the foundation of most crafting recipes. Holding reserves of these common materials prevents bottlenecks during equipment crafting sessions.
Shashwat
Not all items ought to be recycled, and some should be kept despite their recyclable status. Make sure to read the item tags and calculate component value against selling prices and keep strategic reserves.
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