How to scrap junk in Fallout 4 (PC and consoles)

As with any Bethesda game, Fallout 4 is jam-packed with weapons, armor, and collectible items that you’ll want to fill your suspiciously large backpack with.

But none of these seem to encumber us as often as the dozens of cigarette cartons and table lamps that we swipe from across The Commonwealth. Whether you’re looking to mod a laser rifle and make it your own, or you’re rebuilding Boston one settlement at a time, you’ll need to scrap junk items to acquire the valuable materials they hold within. 

Scrapping individual junk items in Fallout 4

If you’re only scrapping a small number of junk items or you’re worried about accidentally scrapping collectible items that you wish to keep whole, you can break down junk individually within your settlements. 

1. Go to the settlement where you’d like the materials to be deposited
2. Find the junk items within your inventory and then drop (R on PC, square on PlayStation, X on Xbox) the item into the world
3. Switch into build mode (Hold V on PC, the touchpad on PlayStation, the change view/left menu button on Xbox)
4. Hover over the items and select “scrap”

The materials from the scrapped items will be automatically deposited into the settlement workshop inventory that you’re within. While this is a fairly simple process, it can be quite a hassle when you’re looking to scrap an inventory and a half worth of junk. But worry not, there is a much easier method of scrapping junk items in bulk with minimal clicks. 

Scrapping all junk at a workshop in Fallout 4

When at a settlement workshop, you have the option of transferring all junk items and scrap materials on your character into the workshop inventory (Press T on PC, triangle on PlayStation, Y on Xbox). When building or crafting items in that settlement, the workshop will automatically break down the junk items into their materials as they are needed. 

Keep in mind that there are some collectable items that can be scrapped, so make sure to store them safely in a different inventory since there won’t be a prompt that warns you about them being consumed. 

Turning all of our junk into scrap solves both the issue of disposing of them and stocking up on much-needed materials. So now that you’ve got a surplus of over 300 units of steel, you don’t need to pick up any more coffee pots… right?