Reclaiming scraps the slow way
Every throwing session leaves a bucket of slop and a pile of trimmings. Throwing them away felt wrong, and buying a pug mill felt absurd for one person, so the reclaim system in my studio is three buckets and a plaster slab.
Dry scraps go into the first bucket and dry out completely; bone dry clay slakes down far more evenly than leather hard lumps. Once a month the bucket gets topped up with water and left for a few days. The slurry goes onto the plaster slab, which pulls the water out, and after a day or two it can be wedged back into something throwable.
Is it worth it
For a small studio, yes. I estimate I have saved about thirty kilos this year, and reclaimed clay throws slightly better than fresh because the particles have had time to soak. The only rule is to keep the different clay bodies apart. One stray lump of red earthenware in a bucket of white stoneware will tell you about itself in the kiln.