Recycled Clay

At the studio we recycle all of the clay we do not use.  All of the trimmings, pieces that fall over, break, and are not loved are thrown into the reclaim buckets.  Every 6 months or so we turn those buckets back into workable clay.

The first step is to lay it out on the tables letting it dry to the right consistency to go through the Pug Mill which will churn the clay, taking out the air and forming it into logs that we then wrap into plastic and store in air tight containers.

Most of the clay that I use for my work is recycled clay.  There are a few reasons as do why I take the time to recycle the clay and use it.
1. It is a HUGE cost savings.  On average when we do a reclaim we make about $400 worth of clay.
2. The ingredients used to manufacture clay are pulled from the earth and so the less new clay I buy the easier I am being on the planet.
3. Recycled clay is softer and easier to work with.
4. It is unique to me.  Because there are lots of different clays that sometimes get thrown into the buckets the clay has a unique pink tint to it.

So right now we are in the middle of our summer reclaim.  With all my tables taken up with piles of stinky clay, there has been a hold put on production.  I am o.k. with that as it gives me a little mini break.  What will I create during this time instead?  I have a few knitting projects I am sure.