About
Business Activity & Circular Impact
Founded in 2017, Yodomo is committed to keeping materials in reuse through creativity, collaboration and practical circular systems. We work with businesses, local authorities and cultural organisations across London — including partnerships connected to the Mayor of London, the London Borough of Hackney, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and the London Legacy Development Corporation — to intercept surplus materials before they enter the waste stream and create viable pathways for reuse.
Our business activity focuses on preventing waste upstream and unlocking value from surplus, particularly within textiles and material supply chains. We support organisations to identify reusable material streams, improve separation and handling systems, and redesign waste processes so that materials remain in circulation rather than being discarded.
Intercepted materials are then redistributed through open-access reuse events, creative networks and community-based initiatives, ensuring they are actively reused rather than stockpiled. Alongside redistribution, we collaborate with partners to prototype innovative reuse applications, test new circular models and contribute practice-based insight to wider circular economy strategies.
We work with major brands including Liberty, Romo, Nike, Daks, Paul Smith, John Lewis and many more.
By combining upstream intervention with local redistribution and system innovation, Yodomo delivers both environmental and social value.
Yodomo won the 'Progress toward circularity' Award at the Marie Claire Sustainability Awards, where the judges found that, "from people to the planet, this business is tackling sustainability from every angle and shows the importance of grassroots work, from employee engagement to working with volunteers".
Measurable Impact
Through our reuse initiatives and circular programmes, Yodomo has:
- Enabled access to surplus materials for 2,000+ creative reuse members
- Delivered public-facing reuse events engaging over 4,000 participants
- Diverted substantial volumes of high-quality materials from landfill and incineration
- Worked in partnership with London boroughs and industry to test circular material systems
- Supported creative production, skills development and local economic participation
Our work reduces waste, extends material lifecycles and lowers disposal impacts, while also strengthening London’s creative economy and supporting inclusive access to resources.
Connection to London
Yodomo’s work is deeply embedded within London’s circular ambitions. Through collaboration with boroughs including Hackney and Tower Hamlets, and engagement within the London Legacy Development Corporation area, we have piloted practical, place-based approaches to reuse within urban environments.
By connecting London-based businesses, local authorities, cultural organisations and creative communities, we contribute to the city’s transition toward a more circular, resource-efficient and inclusive economy.
Our approach demonstrates how localised reuse systems — supported by partnership, public access and creativity — can reduce waste at source while strengthening community resilience and economic opportunity across London.
Sophie Rochester is the founder of Yodomo, a London-based social venture working at the intersection of surplus materials, creative reuse and circular systems. She is an advocate for the power of making — championing craft, creativity and material literacy as tools to support wellbeing, resource efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Sophie founded Yodomo in 2017 and successfully raised investment through Seedrs to launch the platform in 2018, securing early backing to scale its creative reuse model. With support from Cambridge Social Ventures at the University of Cambridge, she led Yodomo’s transition into a purpose-led social venture in 2021, embedding environmental and social impact at the heart of the business.
Her work focuses on intercepting surplus materials before they become waste and developing practical, place-based circular systems in partnership with businesses, local authorities and cultural organisations across London.
Sophie is currently undertaking a PhD in textile circularity at the University of the Arts London’s Fashion, Textiles and Technology Institute (UAL FTTI), where her research explores how local circular textile economies can be measured and valued beyond purely financial metrics. Through both practice and research, she contributes to wider conversations about circular economy infrastructure, material flows and urban systems change.