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A couple months ago, I put out an old basement sink complete with cabinet. Parts of it were apart but I put it out a bit earlier than big trash pickup day in order to give those driving by a chance to decide if it is worth saving and putting it back to some use. Its not uncommon in my neighborhood. Someone late at night, took tore off the metal sink portion and left the rest in a damaged state. I was a bit annoyed because now I will have a completely useless bit of trash in front of my house for the next few days that no one can reuse. I got over it hoping it went to someone who needed the scape metal for money.
Working during the day and driving around picking up scrap metal... I can see someone surviving off of that.
Scraping is actually a problem in Michigan and people do it so frequently (and illegally) that strong regulations have had to be put on it. Air conditioners, piping, appliances, even public utilities like street lights and traffic signs were being scrapped for metal. All things that were in use at the time. The problem is that scrapyards can't (or didn't care to) determine if the metal was illegally obtained or not. So pretty much anyone could bring in any metal and make cash off it scot free.
Now with new laws passed this year, payment for copper and air condition parts are delayed for three days or have to be done through mailed checks or money orders. The goal really is to create a paper trail so that those who are scrapping metal illegally can be tracked down and stopped. The usual suspects are long-term unemployed or those who are already criminals.
Our neighbor's 45 year old son was into scrapping. He made enough at it to support a heavy meth habit. It's the perfect job for someone that prefers to work a few days then 'disappear' for a week or two, because the work is still there when they recover from the last binge. This is a level of flexibility not found in most regular wage jobs, where if you don't show up for a 10 day stretch they stop paying.
There was one situation I recall where the son scrapped for a few days, then went on an extended binge. Afterwards, he fell asleep and some of the other tweakers he was hanging out with decided to 'borrow' his truck. They sold all the tools in it, broke the ignition in the process, and cracked the engine mounts. His dad fixed the truck while he was going through some really violent withdrawls. As soon as the truck was fixed dad gave him the keys back and he was back off scrapping again. Some parents.
It's not all drug based. My DH does intermittent scrapping. He collects old batteries, metal this and that, here and there. He doesn't go out looking for it, but if he sees some, he asks if he can haul it away for the folks. They are glad to give him old batteries just to get rid of them, he also gets old pipe and all sorts of other "treasures". Folks are glad to get rid of the stuff since they don't want to be bothered with the rubbish. My DH collects the stuff until he has enough in the little trailer to drag it off to the recyclers. He gets spare pocket money as well as enough to take me out to dinner occasionally, so I think it's a good thing! The neighbors are glad that they don't have to haul it off, too. He's not making any significant money from this, though. He's actually looking for old hit-or-miss engines to restore, not that he makes any money from those but he likes to collect them.
Scrappers around here will pick up old broken down cars from people for free or maybe advertise that they'll pay $100 or $200 - they will then pick off parts they can resale, stuff the interior with scrap metal to get the weight up and sell the car to a scrap yard for $400-500. I always wondered why so many people advertised "we buy junk cars".
I also know a guy that will scrap anything (sometimes stolen) to support his drug habit. Of course these thieves will often hit foreclosed homes and steal the HVAC and copper piping under the house/in the walls.
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