So this isn't an option in the game. You can scrap guns at a weapon workshop, armor at an armor workshop, but you cant scrap junk at your base workshop. I strongly dislike having a cluttered "Junk" category. I've been dropping all of my junk items and scrapping them upon every time i return to base. It isnt that bad, theres something kind of nice about doing this, but i've probably wasted a lot of time doing this and it would be much easier for an option to scrap individual items in your base/building workshop or even have items automatically get scrapped upon storing into your workshop. (I can see people opposing this due to accidentally scrapping a junk item that they would want to keep as that item, like jangles the moon monkey).

* * * pro tip

for the people like me that are dropping and scrapping, use the flat bases for houses as the platform you will drop them on. I'm talking about the places like at sanctuary where you can scrap an entire 'ruined house' and nothing is left but a perfectly flat base. This prevents items from going slightly under a layer of ground. in other words, you can always see EVERYTHING you dropped.

dont forget a single pencil. lead is your friend.

Doesn't t do it automatically when you're going to build something?

Isn't that exactly how it works? As long as you have the junk you have it's components, it automatically scrap them for you.

Now you see, this is what i assumed it did, but honestly could not be sure and was scrapping stuff by dropping them by hand and scrapping each item individually... Which is a REAL PAIN.

its not well explained INGAME which is a oversight.

A lot of things aren't explained in-game, but we humans have developed "insight" and "intuition" as a cognitive function, so that's some good news.

Yeah it just kinda drops you in the game honestly
You can go to your Workbench then transfer all your junk (it is "T" in PC I think) then go about making stuff. Your stuff will be only accessible in that particular settlement but with the local leader perk you can assign a settler (by hovering over them in workshop mode) to establish a supply line with another settlement, then you can have shared resources with that settlement.
They actually physically walk there too, Now I'm wondering... Can your suply line settlers die on the way on their own ?

i am fully aware it breaks them into components while crafting.

i strongly dislike keeping them in their item forms for a few reasons:

-they weigh more, so if you want to transport them, it takes more trips
-i hate seeing about a hundred different items in my junk

-its difficult to find what components you need more of while theyre in item form. after breaking them down, its much easier to see which components you are running low on

So yeah ive been dropping and scrapping them

I think an extra load screen or 2 is quicker than scrapping every item you own.

If you are worried about accumulated items then build more often.

There is a component finder.

Cluttered and lack of classifying item listing is indeed frequently a disaster, caused as much eye strain as Witcher 3's lurid colour gamut to me.

The big question, though, is what happens to the other resources in the item you're using to build something?

I.e., if you use the adhesive from duct tape in building a mod, what happens to the cloth that duct tape also has? Is it sent to the workshop or does it disappear?

Sure, it's a small thing, but I hate being wasteful.

I believe the components become individual items in the workshop. I'm pretty sure I didn't harvest any silver bars but there are a few in my workshop.

Yes, please! Break it to components automatically when depositing junk.

i assume the cloth component of the duct tape is broken down. i've heard reports that it doesnt, ive also heard people saying it does.

ill go test that and edit my original post. but regardless if that happens or not, i still think there should be an option to scrap them without having to drop everything