Find out how to get this special type of currency in The Sims 4 and what it’s used for!

If you’ve played with the Eco Lifestyle expansion pack for The Sims 4, you might have noticed that almost everything you can craft requires Sims 4 bits and pieces. But what exactly are they? How do you acquire them? And how do you use them? Read on to find out how to get bits and pieces for all your fabricated projects in The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle!

The Sims 4 Bits and Pieces Guide

What are Bits and Pieces?

Sims 4 Bits and Pieces are a new currency introduced in The Sims 4 Eco Lifestyle. The whole household shares them just like simoleons. The difference between simoleons and bits and pieces is that your Sims can’t simply earn them by going to work and they can’t spend them on anything they want. This new type of currency can only be acquired from recycling and it can only be spent on crafting things like candles and furniture made in the fabricator.

You can see how many Sims 4 bits and pieces your household has by hovering over the household funds panel.

Bits vs. Pieces

You might have noticed that bits and pieces are two different currencies in The Sims 4. The game is not very good at explaining the difference between the two but there is a difference. Players trying to collect both types of currencies might find themselves frustrated because they only ever seem to get pieces but not bits when they recycle things.

To put it simply, bits are recyclable things and pieces are compostable things. If you recycle an old couch or TV, you get bits from that because the couch and TV are recyclable materials. If you recycle an uneaten sack lunch your kid brought home from school, you get pieces from that because the sack lunch is compostable material.

So if you need more bits, recycle non-food items. If you need more pieces, focus on compostable things like food.

How to Get Bits and Pieces in The Sims 4

The easiest and most straight-forward way to acquire this currency is by recycling items. You can purchase a recycler for your home or vote to turn the local community space into a maker space. Then you can visit the maker space anytime and use their recyclers. You can recycle almost anything your Sims have on them in their inventory. Recycling more valuable items will result in more Sims 4 bits and pieces than recycling junk.

Another way to acquire them is by dumpster diving. Rummage through garbage bins and large dumpsters for Sims 4 bits and pieces. You may also find other objects to turn into this currency by recycling them. If your trash is empty, just drag things like dirty dishes and scrap piles from broken appliances to the trash to fill it again.

You can increase the amount you find by adding the Reduce and Recycle lot challenge to any lot you intend to dumpster dive in. This lot challenge requires your Sims to sort through the trash for recyclables and compostables. Doing so prevents the garbage from overflowing. Click the trash to sort for recyclables, then click on the recycle piles in your Sim’s inventory to turn them into Sims 4 bits and pieces.

Using Bits and Pieces in The Sims 4

Now that you know how to acquire them, what exactly are you supposed to use them for? You need bits and pieces to make decorative items and furnishings in the fabricator. You also need them for candle making.

Every crafting recipe for the fabricator requires a certain number of bits and pieces. The candle recipes for the candle maker also call for bits and pieces. If you want to make candles or 3D print your own furniture with the fabricator, this currency is essential for crafting those items. You’ll benefit most from having a fully-upgraded recycler and the Reduce and Recycle lot challenge. Having a maker space in your home neighbourhood is also a big help in acquiring bits and pieces. If you lack the funds to invest in a recycler, fabricator, or candle maker, you’ll be able to use those objects for free at the local maker space so make sure to vote for it!

Creating something beautiful and useful out of junk is a skill. Learn how to build the Fabrication skill to make stunning furniture and candles out of your bits and pieces!