Recycling in ARC Raiders turns bulky loot into the materials you need for crafting and upgrades, while selling converts items into Coin. The flow is simple once you know where to look and how to preview outcomes without wasting anything.

Recycle items at Speranza (base)

Step 1: Open your inventory. On PC press TAB, on Xbox press the Select/Back button, and on PlayStation click the Touchpad.

Step 2: Highlight an item in your character inventory or Stash that you want to process. Keep the cursor on the item to read its tag and description.

Step 3: Open the action menu. Right‑click on mouse and keyboard, or press Y / Triangle on Xbox/PlayStation to bring up item options.

Step 4: Choose Recycle. The confirmation panel shows exactly which materials you’ll receive. If you change your mind, cancel; nothing is consumed until you confirm.

You can also sell or recycle from the Loadout screen before launching an expedition. This helps clear space without walking to traders.

Salvage items during a raid (Topside)

Step 1: Open your inventory during a raid using the same control as in the hub (TAB on PC, Select/Back on Xbox, Touchpad on PlayStation).

Step 2: Select the item, open the action menu, and choose Salvage. In-raid the option is labeled “Salvage” instead of “Recycle.”

Step 3: Review the salvage preview, then confirm or cancel. Salvage yields fewer components than recycling at Speranza—expect about half the usual materials.

Step 4: Use Salvage when weight or slots are tight and you need components immediately. If you want full yields, extract with the item and recycle at the base instead.

Identify what to recycle vs. what to sell

Step 1: Check for the “Recyclable” tag. These items are intended to be broken down into specific materials, which are listed in the description.

Step 2: Spot “Trinket” items by the diamond icon. Trinkets aren’t used in crafting and are designed to be sold for Coin. Some items can also be tied to projects or decor—mark anything you’re unsure about (see tracking below) before selling.

Step 3: Preview before committing. Open Recycle/Salvage to see the exact output, then back out if the materials aren’t what you need right now.

Prevent recycling upgrade or quest materials

Step 1: Track resources from Workshop upgrade and crafting menus. Tracking places an eye icon on required items in your inventory and during raids, making them easy to spot so you don’t sell or recycle them by mistake.

Step 2: Read item descriptions carefully. Some pieces labeled “Recyclable” are also used to upgrade stations and gear. For example, items like Power Cables recycle into Wires but are also consumed by certain Workshop upgrades. Keep a small buffer of upgrade items and process only the surplus.

Common recyclables and what they give (at Speranza)

Item Recycles into
Power Cable (Rare). 4× Wires.
Toaster (Rare). 5× Plastic Parts, 3× Wires.
Metal Brackets (Uncommon). 8× Metal Parts.
Broken Flashlight (Rare). 3× Battery, 7× Metal Parts.
Household Cleaner (Uncommon). 13× Chemicals.
Humidifier (Rare). 3× Canister, 2× Wires.
Battery (Uncommon). 2× Metal Parts.
Alarm Clock (Rare). 1× Processor, 6× Plastic Parts.
Projector (Rare). 1× Processor, 2× Wires.
Pop Trigger (Common). 1× Crude Explosives, 1× ARC Alloy.
ARC Alloy (Uncommon). 2× Metal Parts.
Rubber Pad (Rare). 22× Rubber Parts.
Water Pump (Rare). 4× Metal Parts, 2× Oil.
Motor (Rare). 2× Oil, 1× Mechanical Components.
Coolant (Rare). 5× Chemicals, 2× Oil.
Duct Tape (Uncommon). 3× Fabric.

Values above reflect recycling at the hub; in-raid Salvage produces fewer components.

Sell vs. recycle: make the call

Step 1: Sell Trinkets to raise Coin quickly. They do not feed crafting, so they’re ideal when you need money for traders or upgrades.

Step 2: Recycle component-heavy items when you’re crafting. Many items return large amounts of basic parts; in several cases, it’s profitable to recycle certain items first and then sell the resulting materials rather than selling the item outright (e.g., Power Bank, Polluted Air Filter, Remote Control, Ice Cream Scooper, Power Cable, Fried Motherboard).

Step 3: Keep upgrade‑gated pieces tracked. If a Workshop bench or gear recipe needs a specific loot item, keep it until the upgrade is done, then recycle extras.

Controls quick reference

  • Open inventory: TAB (PC), Select/Back (Xbox), Touchpad click (PlayStation).
  • Open item actions: Right‑click (PC), Y / Triangle (controller).
  • Hub action: Recycle. In‑raid action: Salvage.

Recycle at the base for the best returns, salvage in a pinch while Topside, and use tracking so upgrade items don’t get scrapped by accident.