Eco Update 14: Recycling, Pollution and Modules — What's Changing (2026)
It's here: Eco Update 14 landed on August 6, 2026, and it's one of the most ambitious updates the game has ever seen. A waste and recycling system, reworked and far more dangerous pollution, simplified modules, and an avalanche of quality-of-life improvements. Here's the essential rundown of what's changing — and, if you run an Eco server, the key things to know before updating.
Waste & recycling: the big change
This is the headline feature. From now on, almost every crafting recipe produces by-products ("Garbage"), contained in mixed waste blocks. Gone are the old dummy recipes used to destroy items: the new Recycler turns whatever you no longer need into waste containing salvageable materials.
Once sorted through the Garbage Sorter and the specialized sorters, you can extract useful materials from it: copper, cellulose fiber, glass, gold, fabric, iron, plastic, steel. A true material economy loop, perfect for the collective organization of a server.
Pollution becomes a real threat
Update 14 massively strengthens the impact of pollution. Ground pollution now comes in four types: acid rain, chemical pollution, ground pollution and heavy metal pollution. Each behaves differently — some dissipate on their own, others require manual cleanup using decontaminants.
Pollution spreads farther depending on the volume of pollutants, and much faster if it reaches water.
It lowers housing value in the area, inhibits fish regeneration and makes animals sick.
Burying pollutants no longer works: you have to store them in proper containers (bins, dumpsters) and then process them.
Good news: a 24-hour grace period before fresh pollutants start taking effect gives you time to handle disposal, even while offline.
Reworked modules
Gone are the numbered multi-tier modules: there are now just four types — Basic, Modern, Advanced and Specialty Upgrades. The first three grant general bonuses, while Specialty upgrades target a single specialty. Bonuses stack additively, in a much clearer interface. By default, applying a Basic/Modern/Advanced module costs one star (configurable).
A big batch of quality-of-life (QoL)
Place pipes directly inside blocks, with a preview.
Choose exactly which items from a tag to use in a craft.
Backpacks grant extra inventory slots.
Live search bar in shops plus a MAX button to buy as much as possible.
Change a block's shape in one click, without deconstructing.
Painting with no cooldown, hex codes in the color picker.
Unlimited chat history: private messages are finally always delivered, even offline.
A dedicated solo difficulty to progress at a much better pace.
Also worth noting on the fishing side: fish are no longer infinite — every method now affects populations (offset by a significant increase in their numbers).
⚠️ What it changes for your Eco server
This is a major update, not routine maintenance. Three essential points if you run a server:
Migration between major versions is not supported. The game does load Update 13 worlds, but with side effects: machines fed with seawater stop until a desalinator is installed (the ocean now contains salt water), pipes no longer have a part tier, and pollutants stored underground start polluting. Strange Loop Games recommends starting a fresh world if possible.
Mods and overrides need adjusting or removing. The new waste and module systems touch most of the game files: a server with outdated overrides won't boot. Remove or adapt your overrides before updating.
New config variables:
CraftGarbageRatio(by-product rate, 8% by default), module star costs, and a series of pollution variables (GroundPollutionGraceDays, per-type ratios…). Two performance options worth knowing:ServerGCandBoostThreadPool(only enable them with a single Eco server per machine).
Make a backup before migrating — a world migration triggered by a change in mods can corrupt the save beyond recovery.
Updating your server on Game-Servers
On Game-Servers, vanilla Eco servers automatically track the latest version: as soon as Update 14 is available, your server moves onto it with zero intervention, and automatic backups protect your world. If you start a fresh map to make the most of Update 14's changes, you can launch it in a few minutes from the configurator. For hosting details (RAM, server key, settings), see our complete Eco server guide.
In short
Update 14 brings Eco even closer to its promise: building a civilization without destroying its ecosystem. Recycling, dangerous pollution and simplified modules create real collective challenges — perfect for a community server. If you run a server: back up, adjust your mods, and consider starting a fresh world to enjoy it all fully.
