Non-renewable resource
Also called: Exhaustible resource · Topic: Natural Resources: Classification, Planning and Sustainable Use · NCERT: Class 8, Ch 1 "Natural Resources and Their Use"; Class 10, Ch 1 "Resources and Development"; Class 10, Ch 5 "Minerals and Energy Resources"
Meaning
A non-renewable resource takes a very long geological time to form, often millions of years. Minerals and fossil fuels are examples. Once used, it cannot be replaced within a human lifetime, so its stock keeps shrinking. There are two kinds. Some are recyclable, such as metals, which can be melted and used again. Others are used up once used, such as fossil fuels that are burnt.
Example
The coal mined in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh took millions of years to form. Once it is burnt in a power station, it is gone for good.
Don't confuse with
- Renewable resource used too fast: if forests are cut faster than they regrow, they run out like a non-renewable. They are still renewable by nature, because they can grow back if we use them more slowly.