Recycling Guide
Complete guide to recycling in Arc Raiders covering what to keep, what to sell, and what to recycle for maximum value.
Category: Strategy ยท Updated 2026-04-06
The recycling system in Arc Raiders breaks down items into crafting materials. Knowing what to recycle versus what to keep or sell is the difference between a well-stocked workshop and an empty one.
The Golden Rule
Recycle common-rarity weapons and armor. Keep uncommon and above. The materials you get from recycling common gear are worth more than the vendor sell price, and you need those materials for crafting better gear.
Always Recycle
- Ferro (Common): Returns Metal Parts and Plastic Parts. Better value recycled.
- Stitcher (Common): Returns Metal Parts and Springs. Craft a Canto instead.
- Il Toro (Common): Returns Metal Parts and Gunpowder. Outclassed by every other shotgun.
- Hairpin (Common): Returns Metal Parts. Only useful as a starter.
- Basic Helmet (Common): Returns Fabric and Metal Parts. Minimal protection.
- Basic Vest (Common): Returns Fabric. Weak protection, valuable material return.
- Basic Backpack (Common): Returns Fabric and Plastic Parts. Upgrade to Tactical immediately.
- Tick Pods (Uncommon): Returns ARC Alloy and Chemicals. The recycle value is higher than keeping them.
- Surveyor Lens (Uncommon): Recycle unless you specifically need it for a Scope craft.
Always Keep
- ARC Alloy: Critical for endgame crafting and station upgrades. Never sell.
- ARC Circuitry: Needed for Gunsmith Lv.3 and top-tier weapon crafts.
- Bastion Cells: Used in the best gear recipes. Extremely rare.
- Queen Reactors: The rarest item in the game. Used for legendary gear.
- ARC Alloys: Essential for Medium Shield and Titan armor crafting.
- Chemicals: Key ingredient for stims and medical items. High crafting demand.
- Circuitry: Important for advanced crafting. Always extract.
- Power Cables: Station upgrades consume these in bulk. Stockpile them.
Sell at Vendor
Items that are not recyclable and not needed for crafting should be vendored. Canned Food, Clean Water, and Energy Drinks can be used in-raid for their effects but are worth selling if you extract with them. Painkillers have low sell value but the healing-over-time effect is useful in-raid.
Material Priority
When your backpack is full and you need to decide what to drop, prioritize in this order: ARC materials (ARC Alloy, ARC Circuitry, Bastion Cell, Queen Reactor) > Advanced materials (Circuitry, Power Cables, Springs, Chemicals) > Basic materials (Metal Parts, Plastic Parts, Fabric, etc.) > Consumables > Common weapons and armor.
Batch Recycling Tip
After a successful raid, dump all your loot at Speranza and do a recycling pass before crafting. This ensures you have the maximum materials available before you start building new gear.