Funny that experiences are different.
I didn't have many but they were gone for good. I could not fabricate anything new.
Recycled some new stuff and got new ones.
Also travelling and reloading still made them show the right amount for afterwards. Maybe it's an issue that it changes once you have a certain amount.
There appears to be 2 issues going on with bits and pieces that I have found in my save.
1 - @BlackjackWidow summed up the issue with the recycler and fabricator showing zeros very well. Only thing I can add is that if you mouse over the household funds, the amount of bits and pieces will show there even when it shows zero on the machines so you can always see what you have.
2 - Second issue is that the bits and pieces disappear altogether and you really have none. I had that happen when I moved a sim into a household to drop off some portraits I had forgotten when I split the original household and then moved him out again back to the original lot. All the bits and pieces went with him it seems even though I transferred no money.
On the dumpster diving. I have noticed that there appears to be a cooldown on the dumpsters out in the EH world when you first load into a lot. Options are all greyed out at first but later on in the day they will reappear. I think this is probably by design to simulate dumpsters filling and being emptied during a day. And how many times you can dumpster dive a particular dumpster seems to vary from day to day.
Hope this helps.
Also have the issue that Bits and Pieces show at the household funds but not at the mouse over the machines.
