Recycling Stations are fixed collectible points spread across the open world of Arknights: Endfield. They passively generate Aerospace Materials — the sole resource used to upgrade the Control Nexus and build Cabins aboard the OMV Dijiang, your orbital home base. Because Aerospace Materials cannot be farmed through combat or crafted in AIC factories, Recycling Stations are effectively time-gated and worth prioritizing early.
Quick answer: There are 13 Recycling Stations total across Valley IV (9 stations) and Wuling (4 stations). Each one replenishes roughly every 10 hours and can be upgraded to Level 4 using regional Stock Bills, increasing both the quantity and rarity of Aerospace Materials it yields.
How Recycling Stations Work
Each Recycling Station starts inactive. Walk up to one and interact with it for free to claim a small batch of Aerospace Materials. After that first activation, the station enters a passive cooldown of approximately 10 hours before it can be collected again. The materials sit there until you pick them up — they won't disappear — but they also won't stack beyond one full batch, so leaving them uncollected for multiple days doesn't accumulate extra rewards.
You must visit every station individually. There is no centralized collection point. Most stations sit near fast-travel teleport points, though, so the actual travel time per run is short. Building ziplines near outlying stations can cut the route down further.
Recycling Station Upgrade Levels and Rewards
Every station can be upgraded from Level 1 to Level 4 using regional Stock Bills. Higher levels increase the number of Aerospace Material I drops and eventually add Aerospace Material II, a higher-rarity variant needed for later Dijiang upgrades.
| Level | Rewards per Collection |
|---|---|
| 1 | Aerospace Material I ×3 |
| 2 | Aerospace Material I ×6 |
| 3 | Aerospace Material I ×6, Aerospace Material II ×3 |
| 4 | Aerospace Material I ×6, Aerospace Material II ×6 |
Upgrading to Level 3 costs around 6,000 Stock Bills per station, which is relatively cheap compared to many other Stock Bill sinks. Reaching Level 3 is a practical early-game target because it unlocks Aerospace Material II drops, and the Dijiang's Cabin construction demands both tiers of material. Level 4 doubles the Aerospace Material II output and is worth pursuing once your Stock Bill income stabilizes through Outpost trading.
All Valley IV Recycling Station Locations
Valley IV contains nine Recycling Stations spread across six sub-areas. Some require story or outpost progression to access.
The Hub (3 stations)
- Inside the Hub Base Power Plant, next to the Protocol Resonance Tower.
- Inside the Originium Byproduct Processing Center, near the electric fence area.
- Inside the Hub Base, past the rubble to the right.
Valley Pass (1 station)
- At the Abandoned Trail, just past the bridge.
Aburrey Quarry (1 station)
- In the Staff Lounge. Reaching it requires restoring power to the quarry first.
Originium Science Park (2 stations)
- Next to the building southwest of the Research Center.
- Inside the Control Center on the eastern side of the map. Access requires Outpost Level 3.
Origin Lodespring (2 stations)
- Along the road north of Temporary Stockpile.
- In the eastern part of Temporary Stockpile.
Power Plateau (2 stations)
- Just outside the United Parking Lot, by the west wall.
- At the Evacuation Zone, south of the Ferrium mining spot.
All Wuling Recycling Station Locations
Wuling has four stations across two sub-areas. These become available after the story takes you to the Wuling region.
Jingyu Valley (3 stations)
- At the Ecological Research Station, near the southern part of the area.
- Just outside the Sky King Flats AIC area, south of the island, next to a teleport point.
- On the northeastern islet at Zhailing Islets.
Wuling City (1 station)
- On the roof of a building between Xiranflow Channel and Tianshi Bureau Academy.
How to Get Stock Bills for Upgrades
Stock Bills are the regional currency that funds Recycling Station upgrades. The most reliable way to earn them is by selling AIC factory products to Outpost residents. Each Outpost has fluctuating demand, so checking the Outpost Management screen for current prices before selling helps maximize returns. Stock Bills also come from completing certain exploration missions and depot-related tasks.
Because Stock Bills cap at each Outpost, it's worth trading regularly to avoid wasting accumulated value. Recycling Station upgrades should be among your first Stock Bill expenditures — the passive Aerospace Material income they unlock compounds over time, and delaying upgrades means missing out on materials you can't get any other way.
What Aerospace Materials Are Used For
Aerospace Materials feed directly into two systems aboard the OMV Dijiang. The Control Nexus is the central upgrade node for the ship, and leveling it up gates access to additional Cabin slots. Cabins themselves — such as the Growth Chamber and Manufacturing Cabin — passively produce useful items and crafting materials without spending Sanity. This makes them one of the most efficient long-term resource generators in the game.
Once the Dijiang is fully upgraded and all Cabins are built, Aerospace Materials lose their purpose. At that point, you can stop collecting from Recycling Stations entirely. Until then, consistent daily collection is the fastest path to unlocking the full passive production chain aboard the ship.
Recycling Stations are easy to overlook in a game packed with factory logistics and combat encounters, but they represent a significant chunk of your long-term resource efficiency. Unlocking and upgrading all 13 stations early — especially to Level 3 — sets up a steady drip of materials that no amount of Sanity spending can replace.
