Egg

Thanks everybody I really appreciate your help

Hi I am new to both pottery and this forum. I have just started throwing and am teaching myself from home, which happens to be a not very large boat so I am trying to secure a studio space. Whilst I wait for that to become established I have been saving my waste clay to recycle when I eventually get some studio space. I have kept greenware and trimmings separate and dry in a small bucket and any wet waste clay I have stored in water in another bucket with a lid. This is where my questions come in 1). yesterday I noticed that the wet waste clay has started to develop a small layer of algae (I stupidly kept it on the deck and the buckets lid is white), I guess that means I should now discard it. Or does it? 2). Is there a maximum amount of time that waste clay should be left to slake? Aside from the risk of algae (!!!) will it end up too gummy if it sits in water for what is now coming up for a couple of months. If so, is there another way to store it til I get my plaster slab, just in an old airtight clay bag for example. many thanks for any help