Waste of non-renewable resources

Non-renewable resources are materials contained in the biosphere and the earth's crust which cannot be re-created in a human time scale. They include fossil fuels, minerals, fossil groundwater and animal species. Non-renewable resources can be used only once. They are either consumed in the process or undergo irreversible change into a different form.

It is currently estimated that 75 to 80% of non-renewable resources used in the industrialized world are wasted, that is their consumption is unnecessary, inefficient or could be substituted by a renewable resource.

1. Waste of resources
2. Resource depletion

1. Waste of electricity
2. Unsustainable energy consumption
3. Underutilized wastes
4. Disposal of packaging waste

1. Worldwide misallocation of resources
2. Irreversible depletion of natural capital
3. Environmental pollution

1. Unconstrained exploitation of natural resources
2. Mismanagement
3. Lack of resource conservation
4. Insufficient recycling of materials
5. Inefficient use of resources
6. Government financing tied to exploitation of non-renewable resources
7. Excessive consumption of goods and services
8. Environmental poverty

1. Reducing waste of non-renewable resources
2. Reducing materials throughput
3. Marketing compost
4. Increasing productivity of non-renewable resources

1. Unproductivity
2. Wastage