In Raft, players must salvage and craft items to survive the game's hazards, and Trash Cubes are an important currency players can use at the Trading Post. A main aspect of gameplay is salvaging items that float by on the ocean, and many of these salvaged items are unwanted or useless. Players can drop unwanted items, which will soon disappear; however, a better option is to recycle them and turn them into Trash Cubes. Considering Raft is a game that takes place almost entirely on a vessel on the open ocean, it's best to horde these items and turns them into money rather than dump them.
Trash Cubes are part of the new Chapter 3 update to Raft that dropped on June 20, 2022. The latest update is Raft's biggest one to date, with new destinations, new playable characters, new enemies, and new items. The Trash Cubes are one of the new items in the game, and their primary purpose is to turn unwanted materials into an in-game currency. Trash Cubes are made with the Recycler, which requires several raw materials and a battery to operate.
Once players have a Recycler and place enough raw materials, they can create Trash Cubes in Raft. Then, they can take the Trash Cubes to the Trading Posts on large islands, where players can exchange the Trash Cubes for various products that can be used to survive on the Raft. Exchanging resources at Trading Posts is an essential way to play the game.
How to Craft Trash Cubes in Raft
First, players will need a Recycler. The Raft Recycler's only purpose is to turn extra items into Trash Cubes. To get it, players need to find the Recycler Blueprint. The Recycler Blueprint is located at the top of the Radio Tower in Raft, which is one of the first places players will find when playing through the main story. If players cannot find the Radio Tower, they can build a Receiver to help locate it. At the top of the Radio Tower, the Recycler Blueprint is on the whiteboard next to Tala, a new playable character. Pick up the Blueprint, which will be added to the Research Table. Next, open the crafting menu; under "Other," players will see how to craft it. 6 Plastic, 4 Metal Ingots, 2 Bolts, and 1 Circuit Board are required to craft the Recycler.
Once the Recycler is crafted, place it on board the Raft. To use it, players need either raw materials or basic crafting materials. The Recycler is also powered by batteries, so one of those needs to be placed on the machine. One Trash Cube requires 300 points worth of raw materials or basic crafting materials, so players should experiment with placing various items in the Recycler to get enough for a Trash Cube. Each item's point value is based on its weight. These materials can be found floating by the Raft out at sea.
When the player has enough Trash Cubes, visit the Trading Post. There are over 40 different items for sale at the Trading Post in Raft in exchange for Trash Cubes, including the Pirate Hat and Sunglasses. Many of the items at the Trading Post cannot be found anywhere else in the game, so players should hoard materials, use them to make Trash Cubes, and go shopping.
Raft is available for PC on Steam.