Carrying capacity is the maximum weighted limit that the player can carry in many video games. The goal of this mechanic is to reduce the amount of gear and items one can hold, which forces gamers to organize and optimize themselves. This capacity is the biggest reason to avoid picking up what is not considered useful.
However, one person's trash is another's treasure. Fallout 4 has a tremendous number of items that the game itself classifies as "Junk", though these are not always useless pieces of trash. Salvaging components from these items is integral for crafting in this game, though it can sometimes be tricky to know which items are the most worth collecting.
10 Alarm Clock
Most pass by these little objects without sparing them a second glance. Doing so, however, will cause the Sole Survivor to miss out on the most easily acquirable source of Nuclear Material. This material is usually only found after a battle with enemies wielding plasma or radioactive weapons as well as on the rare glowing creatures that can sometimes be found around Boston's wastelands. Nuclear Material is an important component in many weapon modifications, so if one is looking to upgrade their weapons appropriately, they should keep their eyes peeled for Alarm Clocks while adventuring.
9 Cutlery
Throughout many of the abandoned houses one will come across, there is usually dinnerware and eating utensils still laid out on tables and upon countertops. When the bombs fell, people did not have time to put away the dishes, though thankfully this means free precious metal for the observant explorer. Silver is one of the more difficult resources to find, as it does not appear as a drop from enemies and cannot be mined directly from rocks, like in some other Bethesda games. This metal is particularly useful for those seeking to create scopes and sights for their guns.
8 Telephones
This common item can be found everywhere, yet contains one of the lesser-seen components in the wasteland: Circuitry. Usually only found in high-tech and dangerous devices like turrets, Assaultrons, or other robots, they can be risky and tedious to farm from foes. Circuitry is a vital ingredient in devices and appliances that benefit one's settlement as well as in many modifications for high-tech grenades.
7 Makeshift Batteries
These rusty cubes look more like part of the scenery than an item that can be picked up. One should try not to overlook these brown and boxy objects, however, as they are an excellent source of the component Acid. Big batteries that can yield this component are often found close to workbenches around the world. Although less apparent than Coolant or Abraxo Cleaner that also grant Acid, Makeshift Batteries produce more when broken down.
Since they are usually located near the benches themselves, one can break them down almost right away, saving on carrying capacity. Acid is useful for those who need to craft some chems, so users of such items should be sure to check around work stations and garages.
6 Toothpaste
Brushing one's teeth is not a mechanic in the Fallout games, though that does not mean that this hygienic invention no longer has any uses. Tubes of this refreshing goo can be found in various washrooms, both intact and rundown, in many locales. The most important component that Toothpaste can be broken down to is Antiseptic, which is used in making the ever-crucial Stimpaks as well as other life-saving medical items.
5 Cigarette Carton
Smoking in Fallout for the player usually means fire damage or that there is hefty machinery nearby. Despite not being able to smoke in-game, Cigarette Cartons can still be found all over the Commonwealth. Keeping one's lungs away from these is a good thing, as they contain high amounts of Asbestos. Thankfully, this poisonous material can be used in creating many fire-resistant armors and modifications.
4 Military Grade Items
Military Grade Duct Tape and Military Ammo Bags can only be found where armed forces tend to hang out. Various forts, camps, and a few shops around the wasteland will have a few of these items each, so make sure to stock up while visiting such locations.
These objects can be broken down into one of the hardest to find resources in the game: Ballistic Fiber. This high tensile strength thread is used in making damage-reducing pieces of armor and modifications, which are among the best equipment in the game for the protection they provide.
3 Crystal Liquid Decanter
Fancy decanters like these are usually only found in the few remaining places of luxury. After the world was ravaged by war and radiation, luxury became increasingly rare; therefore ornate items like these also did. The Crystal resource that one gets when breaking down these vessels is used in many accuracy-related upgrades and weapon attachments. Those in need of such tools should hit up restaurants, bars, and anywhere that seems classy enough to house a few Crystal Liquid Decanters.
2 Microscope
These complex devices are composed of many useful resources that the Sole Survivor can repurpose into their own, more suitable, inventions. Microscopes and their variants are mostly found in medical facilities and research labs, though they are quite heavy, so be sure to clear up some inventory room before looting one of these locations. By breaking these items down, the player can gather Fiber Optics, a high-tech component used in making many energy weapons and modifications.
1 Gold Watch
One can hardly consider Gold to be junk due to its high traditional value. In a post-apocalyptic world, it may not be as trade-worthy but is still desirable. Gold in purer forms, like in solid bars, can be found in a few select locations, though these shiny pocket watches are a great deal more common, if albeit still rare. Gold is instrumental in many of the higher-tier crafting recipes; particularly weaponry. Sometimes one person's treasure is another's treasure as well.