In my neighborhood, we have the pickadors that drive through the alleys looking for stuff. Many residents put their metal waste or "interesting" trash next to the dumpster. The last bike I found was a crap Schwinn MTB. Not worth doing a fix-n-flip. Stripped it down into components parts and fasteners, dumped the frame in the alley where it disappeared shortly. These guys are the front line of the environmental movement.
Re-use is better than recycling but more labor-intensive. A lot of junk cars still have parts on them that have value. Getting them to the right hands is the trick.
Once tore down an aluminum patio cover. Took it down to the scrap yard and got $40.00 cash. That was about a week's worth of groceries and beer that I almost threw away.