Overview
The Recycle specialty in Pokemon Pokopia converts waste materials into useful resources. Pokemon with this specialty process Wastepaper into Paper and Nonburnable Garbage into Iron Ore. Combined with the Litter specialty (which passively drops waste items), recycling creates a self-sustaining resource loop that is one of the most efficient passive farming setups in the game.
Recycle Conversions
Input | Output | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Wastepaper | Paper | Paper is needed for Team Initiation Challenge, building blocks, and crafting |
Nonburnable Garbage | Iron Ore | Iron Ore can be smelted into Iron Ingots at a Smelting Furnace |
Both conversions work the same way: give the waste material to a Pokemon with the Recycle specialty, and it automatically processes the item into the output material. The conversion always produces the same result (Nonburnable Garbage always becomes Iron Ore, never anything else).
Pokemon with Recycle Specialty
Pokemon | Location | Other Specialties |
|---|---|---|
Trubbish | Bleak Beach (Trash Collection Site habitat) | Recycle only |
Garbodor | Bleak Beach (evolves from Trubbish environment) | Recycle + Litter (drops Nonburnable Garbage) |
Metang | Recycle only |
Trubbish is the earliest Recycle-specialty Pokemon most players encounter, available during the Bleak Beach storyline. Build a Trash Collection Site habitat to attract it. Garbodor is the most valuable because it has both Recycle and Litter, creating a self-contained waste-to-ore loop.
Where to Find Waste Materials
Wastepaper
Sparkling Skylands is the primary source of Wastepaper. It is found scattered inside scrap blocks and floating around the area as debris. Break blocks with Rock Smash (powered up with Hamburger Steak) to collect Wastepaper. Smaller amounts can be found in other areas.
Nonburnable Garbage
Nonburnable Garbage is found on the ground in Bleak Beach, fitting the area's post-disaster coastal theme. It can also be passively generated by Garbodor's Litter specialty, which continuously drops Nonburnable Garbage near its habitat without any input required.
The Garbodor Loop
Garbodor is unique because it has both Litter and Recycle specialties, creating a fully automated Iron Ore production chain:
Garbodor's Litter specialty passively drops Nonburnable Garbage near its habitat.
Collect the Nonburnable Garbage (or have a Gather-specialty Pokemon do it via a Community Box).
Submit the Nonburnable Garbage back to Garbodor.
Garbodor's Recycle specialty converts it into Iron Ore.
Smelt the Iron Ore into Iron Ingots at a Smelting Furnace with a Burn-specialty Pokemon.
This loop runs indefinitely because Garbodor generates its own input material. Combined with a Community Box and a Gather-specialty Pokemon (like Machop), the entire chain becomes passive.
Why Paper Matters
Paper is required for several important uses:
Team Initiation Challenge Stage 3 (10 Paper) and Stage 8 (Party Poppers need Paper)
4th floor of the Rebuild the Huge Building quest (10 Paper)
Various building block recipes
Recycled Bread recipe (requires Wheat + Simple Bread + Recycle specialty)
Setting Up a Recycling Station
Build a Trash Collection Site habitat at Bleak Beach to attract Trubbish.
Once Trubbish is befriended, feed it waste materials to begin recycling.
For automation, evolve or attract Garbodor (Litter + Recycle) and place a Community Box nearby.
Assign a Gather-specialty Pokemon near Garbodor's habitat to auto-collect Nonburnable Garbage drops.
Place a Smelting Furnace nearby with a Burn-specialty Pokemon to auto-smelt Iron Ore into Ingots.
Tips
Garbodor is the single most efficient Pokemon for passive Iron Ore production. Prioritize getting one early.
Farm Wastepaper in Sparkling Skylands. It is the most reliable source and appears in large quantities.
Combine the Garbodor Litter-Recycle loop with a Gather Pokemon and Community Box for fully hands-off Iron Ore farming.
Paper demand spikes in the late game (20+ needed across quests). Start recycling Wastepaper early to build a stockpile.
Iron Ingots from recycled Nonburnable Garbage feed into Tinkmaster's Tinkgear production (1 Iron Ingot = 3 Tinkgears).