Log waste
Recording waste isn't just for the report — it's how Rinvy keeps inventory honest. Counted stock that has since spoiled, broken, or been thrown out doesn't appear in a receipt or a prep log; without a waste entry, the difference shows up as mystery shrinkage in reports.
The cart workflow
The Log Waste screen is cart-based — add items incrementally, review, submit:
Go to Log waste.
- Pick a product, enter a quantity, pick a unit, pick a reason. Tap Add to cart.
- Repeat for as many items as you need to log.
- Review the cart. Adjust or remove rows.
- Tap Submit to record the entire batch as one waste log.
One waste log can contain multiple line items, all dated together. Use one log per "waste event" — the morning spoilage walk, the broken dish, the over-baked tray.
Waste reasons
Each line item picks one reason:
| Reason | Use for |
|---|---|
| Expired | Past expiration date, found during spoilage walk |
| Spoiled | Spoiled before expiration (bad batch, fridge failure) |
| Damaged | Crushed, broken, contaminated container |
| Overproduced | Prep that didn't get served and can't be saved |
| Dropped | Physical accidents on the line |
| Contaminated | Cross-contamination, allergen exposure, hair |
| Other | Anything else — be specific in the notes field |
The reason drives the waste analysis report (Standard+) — picking the right reason makes the report useful.
Record-only toggle
By default, logging waste deducts the quantity from inventory. There's a per-line toggle to disable that.
Use record only when:
- You're logging historical waste after the deduction already happened — for example, you forgot to log waste a week ago and have since taken a new inventory count. The new count already reflects the loss; logging deduction now would double-count it.
- You're documenting waste for paperwork (insurance, compliance) without wanting Rinvy to touch stock.
Use the default (deduct) for waste that's happening right now — the count was taken yesterday, you saw spoilage today, and you want today's stock to reflect it.
Optional fields
- Date (defaults to now). Override if you're back-dating.
- Notes — useful for "Other" reasons and for audit trails.
What happens after submit
- A waste log is created with all the line items.
- For each item with deduction enabled, an inventory transaction is recorded.
- Waste appears on the activity feed (red-coded), in the waste history, and in the waste analysis report.
Common mistakes
Picking the wrong reason
"Other" should be a last resort. If you can't distinguish between Expired and Spoiled, pick whichever is closer — the waste analysis report uses these to surface patterns.
Recording waste in the wrong unit
If you waste 2 lb of chicken but the product is counted by case, switch the unit to lb in the line item. Wasting "2 case" of chicken when you meant 2 lb deducts roughly 16× too much.
Forgetting record-only for historical waste
If you've already counted since the waste happened, you must use record-only — otherwise the deduction is applied to current stock, which is already correct. You'll see stock go negative or trigger false low-stock alerts.
Logging spoilage walks as one big 'Other'
The spoilage walk usually surfaces a mix — some expired, some spoiled, maybe a damaged container. Break them into separate line items with the right reason. The report can't help if everything is labeled "Other".