The Yellow Octopus story
From an immigrant entrepreneurs’ dream in his small rental home in Northern England, to becoming a leading provider of commercial circularity solutions. Our humble beginnings say a lot about who we are, and how we operate in the world.
Scalable circular infrastructure
Yellow Octopus manages fashion items for maximum re-use. When this is no longer possible, any remaining items normally categorised as waste go to Upcycle Labs to be turned into new products. We’re determined to make landfills and incinerators redundant.
Our Superpower
A Dynamic Duo of Entrepreneurial Vision & Corporate Strength.
Yellow Octopus was founded by Jack Ostrowski in 2006. Since 2014, it has operated as a joint venture between the founder and PDS Ltd – a publicly listed global leader in fashion design and supply chain management. A strategic alliance combining entrepreneurial agility, with corporate resource for unstoppable growth.
It’s not only business.
It’s personal.
Message from Jack Ostrowski – Founder of Yellow Octopus
“A true billionaire is someone who positively impacts a billion lives.”
This is my favourite quote and my North Star.
Running a business is hard and exhausting on every level. Having a goal that’s bigger than me keeps me going and reminds me that the sacrifices we make are for a worthwhile of cause. But the business of worthwhile causes is tough and unforgiving. No profit. No scalability. No real impact. No positive change.
That is why our focus is to connect profit with purpose. Solving real pressing problems, at scale, is what we do. We provide rigorous – commercial circularity – solutions that deliver value, because only then can we generate the scale to turn a small project into global solutions that have long-lasting positive impact on the world.
As an old African proverb says: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” To introduce systemic change that produces concrete positive impact, we need to enlist multiple stakeholders. Within the Yellow Octopus, I am blessed to be surrounded by Rock Star employees and charismatic entrepreneurs. Our growth is possible thanks to ongoing support of my business partners from PDS who under leadership of Pallak Seth and Sanjay Jain share my commitment to commercial circularity and making a positive impact. I am very grateful to everyone.
Together we are on the mission to Fix Problems, Create Value and Have Fun while doing it.
If any of this resonates with you, please get in touch and join us on our journey.
Love and peace,
Our advisory board
Guided by a powerhouse of industry trailblazers, we’re pushing boundaries and driving circular innovation to new heights.
Retailers Choose to Work With Us
Commercial Benefits
Our solutions are market-tested and profitable. We understand the retail industry and prioritise creating value for our partners in every solution we provide.
Scaleable Solutions
We can apply our solutions at scale, which is why the biggest fashion and beauty brands choose to partner with us.
Plug & Play
Our solutions integrate seamlessly and do not disrupt existing operations.
18+ Years of Experience
We have nearly 2 decades of experience working with the largest fashion and beauty retailers from across the UK & EU.
Transparency & Trust
We are a B Corp company, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and SMETA certified and are regularly audited by the internal audit teams of the largest retailers.
Contact us
Looking for a job?
We are always on the hunt for A-players.
