Personally, I find the process of Raw Materials > Processed Materials > Finished Goods very rewarding, and that a bigger backpack to account for finding more world building items (Alarm clocks, Nail clippers, paper clips, a can full of old screws, spark plugs, etc.) you could scrap for more than one base material ( Scissors would yield plastic and metal) would make the scavenging aspect of the game really shine. It's disappointing to evolve into the era of ignoring certain loot because you have more than you need at the base. I love how Fallout 4 did their scrapping system, as it meant most items still had a use even mid to late game.
It gets to the point where you could streamline the game into using [WEAPON] to kill [ENEMIES] for [MEAT] and [DOLLARS] but those games existed 25 years ago and this game is so much better than that.
Leave my knobs alone!
Thunder thief. 😛