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I wasn't sure what topic to put this under, but it's about clay. Sorry if this is a repeat subject. Our company recycles 100% of our clay that isn't considered to be contaminated. We have a reclaim system that one of our employees manages, but this person is moving on from the company in a few days. They get the clay to the right consistency and run it through the pug to be reused. The problem we are running into is that it's actually cheaper and simpler to order new clay than it is to manage this process and inventory. So here's the crazy idea that might upset some folks. What if we got an extra disposal container and threw our scraps away? Im looking for pros and cons here. Here are some I've thought of so far: Pros: Cheaper, no (known) negative environmental effects, more reliable clay consistency, fewer defects as a result of foreign contaminates, simpler training for employees Cons: Someone worked hard to get this clay out of the ground, sounds bad in marketing, Another option is to donate Thoughts?

Standing in for Evelyne this week, So what is your favorite tool that came from some other place other than a pottery supply store. Something that you have recycled, or redesigned in some way to use in your pottery studio. Some of my favorites are bamboo kitchen utensils that I cut the handles off of to make all sorts of ribs. Another that I find quite useful is a potato peeler to facet the stems of chalices or to facet mugs before shaping. Give some examples of yours, pictures if you can. best, Pres