Gypsum and has a paper covering and is fine for adding to compost as an amendment, wood breaks down to build more trees, shingles can be recycled. Recycling is also profitable or can be used on the new house. Many people reuse old brick because it's beautiful. Why are you crying, environmentalists are the real problem to these high real estate costs. You think the human race is not part of the environment and promote laws that are governed by rules that put human life last on the totem pole brainwashing people that the expansion of the human race is a bad thing for the environment...