Metal recycling is fine and there was a thriving industry in metal recycling before anyone heard of "recycling". Metal recycling also does not require any subsidies. Your typical auto junkyard is a good example.
The issue is the small scale household recycling that does require subsidies and is a strain on local government budgets. You are basically cutting needed services to the community such as funds for libraries, parks, police, and schools in order to subsidize good feels for upper middle class households, which is a regressive and wasteful policy.
This is really a technological issue -- in 15 years, it might make sense to recycle something else, but then a market will develop and cities wont have to pay to do it, as it will pay for itself. But regardless of future breakthroughs, it's unlikely that we will ever be able to recycle a substantial proportion of household waste.
The issue is the small scale household recycling that does require subsidies and is a strain on local government budgets. You are basically cutting needed services to the community such as funds for libraries, parks, police, and schools in order to subsidize good feels for upper middle class households, which is a regressive and wasteful policy.
This is really a technological issue -- in 15 years, it might make sense to recycle something else, but then a market will develop and cities wont have to pay to do it, as it will pay for itself. But regardless of future breakthroughs, it's unlikely that we will ever be able to recycle a substantial proportion of household waste.