Non-renewable resource

A non-renewable resource (as opposed to a renewable resource) is a resource that can't be obtained in indefinite quantities in survival without exploring more terrain or using certain glitches, commands or Creative mode to create more of them. While running out of a resource isn't likely to be a factor in normal gameplay due to massive size of an Minecraft map, in principle there is only a finite quantity of these resources available in each Minecraft world.

Most non-renewable resources aren't renewable because they can be only obtained through crafting recipes which consume non-renewable items, others can only be obtained by finding them as naturally generated blocks, in structure loot chests or as a drop from certain enemies which don't respawn; elder guardians, illagers and shulkers, which only spawn as a part of structure generation, and the wither, which can only be spawned by using non-renewable soul sand.

Many normally renewable resources become non-renewable, and in some cases unobtainable if playing on peaceful difficulty, as monsters will not spawn.

The degree of impact the non-renewability of a resource has on normal gameplay generally depends on how limited the resource in question is, but on custom maps these relationships may be changed, for example on many Skyblock-style maps dirt is extremely valuable, as often only a small amount is available and it has many important uses.

All status effects which cannot be obtained in Survival are non-renewable.

Common

While technically not renewable, these resources or their non-renewable raw materials are so common in the default world generation that they are unlikely to be used up in even in relatively small areas of the map, assuming they contain the appropriate biomes. Their non-renewability may be more important in custom maps.

Resource	Non-renewable products	Sources
Gravel ‌	‌	Generates in large pockets underground, as a layer on the bottom of rivers and oceans, in the paths of some generated villages and in The Nether Flint and steel can also be found in some Nether fortress chests. Coarse Dirt is found in all Giant Tree Taiga variants, Modified Wooded Badlands Plateau, and Shattered Savanna Plateau Biomes and can be crafted with dirt and gravel. Dirt can be made by tilling Coarse Dirt with a Hoe or breaking Grass, Mycelium or Podzol blocks without the silk touch enchantment, or breaking Grass path blocks by any means and is commonly found in most overworld biomes, under the layer of grass Grass generates naturally as the top layer in most biomes, and can spread to nearby dirt blocks. Mycelium generates naturally as the top layer in mushroom fields, and can spread to nearby dirt blocks. Large spruce trees convert nearby dirt, grass and coarse dirt to podzol as they grow. Unlike all other non-renewable products, making concrete powder or concrete requires both sand and gravel, two completely different non-renewable resources‌.
Lava Bucket ‌	―	Obtained by collecting lava with a bucket. Lava generates in small lakes in The Overworld, in random pockets in The Nether, and in large amounts at low Y-levels in both dimensions.
Netherrack ‌		Generates in massive quantities in the Nether, it is the most abundant non-renewable resource. Nether bricks naturally generates in nether fortresses.
Red Sand ‌	‌	Spawns as a thin layer in Badlands biomes.
Sand ‌	‌	Generates in desert biomes, on beaches and underwater in Swamps. Sandstone Generates under the sand layer in deserts, and in desert villages, wells and temples. TNT generates in underwater loot chests, and as a part of desert temples. Unlike all other non-renewable products, making concrete powder or concrete requires both sand and gravel, two completely different non-renewable resources.
Soul Sand ‌		Generates in large quantities in The Nether.

Uncommon

While these resources are still common, players may be pushed to explore further to find more, especially if multiple players are collecting them. In many cases, they aren't truly exhausted, but finding and collecting the remaining material is far harder than simply exploring for more. For example, nether quartz generates throughout netherrack, but many players only harvest the veins visible on cavern surfaces.

Resource	Non-renewable products	Sources
Clay ‌	‌ ‌	Obtained from breaking clay blocks, which are often found in small pockets in swamp biomes. Red, orange, yellow, brown, white, light gray and unstained terracotta generate in large quantities in Badlands biomes. Flower pots generate with witch huts.
Cobweb	―	Can be collected with shears from strongholds and abandoned mineshafts.
Coral Blocks ‌	‌	Can be collected from coral reefs in warm oceans.
Dead Bush	―	Can be collected with shears in Badlands and desert biomes.
Diamond Ore	"Trail" Firework Stars & Rockets ‌	Generates in veins in the overworld, bellow Y=16. Diamonds can also be be found in chests of many generated structures.
Emerald Ore	―	Emerald ore generates underground in mountains biomes, usually in single-block veins.
Horse Armor ‌	―	Can be found in generated chests of various generated structures.
Nether Quartz Ore ‌	‌	Generates in medium-sized veins in the Nether Andesite, Diorite, and Granite can be found in large veins in the overworld.
Ores	―	These ores generate underground in all biomes of the overworld.
Shulker Shell ‌		Dropped by shulkers, which spawn as a part of end cities.
Wet Sponge		Spawn in the sponge rooms of some ocean monuments. Dropped by elder guardians. Formed when water touches a sponge.

Rare

These resources are limited enough to force players to wander far and wide to find them in any significant quantity, especially on servers.

Resource	Non-renewable products	Sources
Dragon Egg ‌	―	Spawns on top of the exit portal when the ender dragon is defeated for the first time. Only one is obtainable in each world, making it the rarest obtainable resource in the game.
Elytra Wings ‌	―	Generates in the end ship alongside end cities.
Dragon Head ‌	―	Generates on the end ship alongside end cities.
Heart of the Sea		One can be found in every buried treasure chest, which can be found using treasure maps found in shipwrecks.
Totem of Undying ‌	―	Dropped by evokers, who generate with woodland mansions.
Enchanted Golden Apple ‌	―	Very rarely found in the chests of dungeons, desert temples, abandoned mineshafts and woodland mansions.

Not obtainable in Survival

These resources are not obtainable as items in Survival. However, they can be encountered and some even created or manipulated in survival.

Resource	Notes
Bedrock	Bedrock can be found at the bottom 5 levels of the overworld, the top and bottom 4 levels of the nether, and as part of end crystal structures and portals in the End, but cannot be broken.
End Portal Frame	Can be found in strongholds, but cannot be broken or moved.
Farmland	Farmland may be created by tilling non-renewable dirt, grass, coarse dirt or grass paths with a hoe, but always drops dirt when mined.
Frosted Ice	Frosted ice may be generated infinitely by walking on renewable water with the frost walker enchantment equipped, but drops nothing when mined.
Grass Path ‌	Grass paths may be created by right clicking non-renewable dirt with a shovel, but drop dirt when mined.
Infested Blocks	Infested blocks may be generated infinitely as silverfish infest renewable cobblestone, stone and stone bricks, but do not drop themselves when mined. They also generate naturally in strongholds and in mountains.
Large Ferns and Tall Grass ‌	Large ferns and tall grass can be renewably created by using bone meal on ferns and grass, but don't drop themselves when broken.
Monster Spawners	Monster spawners can be encountered in dungeons and abandoned mineshafts, but drop only experience if mined.
Technical Blocks	Technical blocks are blocks such as portal blocks and fire, whose main functions are strictly tied to the usage of other blocks and items. Many can be generated renewably in the world, but they cannot be acquired as items through normal survival gameplay.

Not encountered in Survival

These resources cannot be accessed without using creative mode or commands.

Resource
Barriers
Command Blocks
Debug Stick
Player Heads
Knowledge Books
Minecarts with Command Blocks
Petrified Oak Slab
Smooth Blocks ‌
Spawn Eggs
Structure Blocks
Chemistry Equipment ‌
All Elements and Compounds ‌
Medicines ‌
Chemistry Products ‌

Upcoming

These items are non-renewable only in snapshots and prereleases‌. They either do not exist, or are renewable in the latest official release.

Resource	Non-renewable products	Sources
Banner Pattern (Thing)	―	Crafting requires using a non-renewable enchanted golden apple.
Fletching Table	―	Crafting requires using non-renewable flint.
Jigsaw Blocks	―	Obtainable via commands only.
New Slabs ‌	―	Crafting requires non-renewable blocks.
New Spawn eggs	―	Obtainable in creative mode only.
New Stairs ‌	―	Crafting requires non-renewable blocks.
New Walls ‌	―	Crafting requires non-renewable blocks.

Legacy Console Edition

These resources aren't renewable in the Legacy Console Edition, even though they are in the Java Edition. For resources which are renewable in Legacy Console Edition, but aren't in Java, see the Renewable resources page.

Resource	Non-renewable products	Reason for Discrepancy
Shrubs	―	Legacy Console Edition exclusive

Non-renewable in peaceful difficulty

These resources are not renewable while playing in peaceful difficulty as their renewable methods of obtaining require the spawning of hostile mobs. (Previously mentioned non-renewable resources are removed from the products list)

Resource	Non-renewable products	Sources
All Water Bottle Brewing Products	‌	Brewing requires blaze powder which is not obtainable in peaceful difficulty. Potions of healing II and splash potions of weakness generate in end ships and igloos, respectively. All other potions (excluding water bottles) are unobtainable.
Blaze Rod	‌	Not obtainable in peaceful difficulty. Magma blocks generates in the Nether, while end rods, ender chests and brewing stands generate in end cities, end ships and igloos.
Coal		Obtained from coal ore or generated chests.
Diamond Helmet, Leggings and Boots ‌	―	Crafted from diamonds.
End Stone		The renewable method of obtaining end stone requires the use of end crystals which are unobtainable in peaceful difficulty. The End is mainly composed of end stone. End Stone Bricks generate in end cities and ships.
Ghast Tear	‌	Not obtainable in peaceful difficulty.
Gold Ingot	‌	Obtained by smelting gold ore Additionally, gold ingots, powered rails, gold nuggets and golden helmets, chestplates, swords and apples can be found in certain generated chests. Gold blocks generate in Ocean Monuments. Potions of healing II generate in end ships.
Gunpowder ‌		Found in certain generated chests. Splash potions of weakness generate in igloos.
Mob Heads	"Creeper" and "Skull" Charge Banners "Creeper-Shaped" Firework Stars & Rockets	Not obtainable in peaceful difficulty.
Music Disc	―	13 and Cat can be found in dungeons and woodland mansions chests, while others are unobtainable in peaceful difficulty.
Phantom Membrane ‌		Not obtainable in peaceful difficulty.
Prismarine Shard and Crystals		Found in generated underwater chests. Prismarine crystals are obtained from sea lanterns All products generate in ocean monuments or are crafted from these blocks.
Slimeball ‌		Not obtainable in peaceful difficulty. Magma Blocks generate in the Nether and Sticky pistons generate in jungle temples. Leads can be found in woodland mansions chests.
Spider Eye	‌	Found in certain generated chests. Splash potions of weakness generate in igloos.
Trident	―	Not obtainable in peaceful difficulty.

Additionally, going to the End requires the use of eye of enders (the chances of requiring none is only 1 in a trillion) which are unobtainable in peaceful difficulty, therefore the following renewable resources can also be considered unobtainable and therefore non-renewable. (Previously mentioned non-renewable resources are removed from the products list)

Resource	Non-renewable products	Sources
Chorus Flower		Not obtainable if the End is inaccessible.
Dragon's Breath	―	Not obtainable if the End is inaccessible.

Gameplay 

View at: Template:Gameplay/content [edit]