Exploring what UK and Japanese SMEs can learn from each other about climate action, sustainability, resource efficiency and resilience.

Join the Meaningful Business Network and SME Renkei Project Team for an interactive event exploring what UK and Japanese SMEs can learn from each other by sharing practical approaches, real-world experiences and fresh perspectives on building more sustainable and resilient businesses.

We'll also be joined by Reusefully (https://www.reusefully.co.uk/), who are the team behind ReYorkshire (https://reyorkshire.com/), bringing the conversation firmly back to York and North Yorkshire. We will be exploring how circular economy principles, reuse and materials sharing can help businesses reduce waste, make better use of resources and identify new opportunities.

This event is hosted by theMeaningful Business Network (https://www.york.ac.uk/enterprise-works/meaningful-business-network/), a local movement supporting businesses to be more impactful, while driving sustainable growth and creating real value for employees, customers, communities and the environment.

Event details

📅 Date: Tuesday 8th December

⏰ Time: Registrations from 9.30am - Lunch from 1pm

📍 Location: The Priory Street Centre, York

🎟️ Free to attend – registration required

About the event

SMEs are at the heart of the economies of both the UK and Japan, but the ways businesses respond to sustainability and resilience can be shaped by very different cultural perspectives.

In Japan, ideas such as bōsai – disaster preparedness – and mottainai – avoiding waste and recognising the value of resources – offer interesting perspectives on how businesses can think differently about resilience and environmental action.

This event brings UK and Japanese perspectives together to ask a practical question: what can we learn from each other, and what could we put into practice locally?

You'll hear insights from the SME Renkei project, discover examples from businesses in Japan and Yorkshire, and exchange ideas with other SMEs and regional partners.

We'll then turn our attention to acting locally, with a dedicated session fromReYorkshire (https://reyorkshire.com/), exploring how businesses across York and North Yorkshire can put circular economy thinking into practice.

Think global, act local: ReYorkshire

What if something your business considers waste could become a useful resource for another organisation?

ReYorkshire – Reuse and Materials Sharing for York and North Yorkshire is a collaborative regional initiative exploring how greater reuse and sharing of materials can reduce waste, improve resource efficiency and support the transition towards a more circular economy.

Its work focuses on identifying potential waste streams from sectors including industry, construction, agriculture and commerce, and exploring opportunities to turn these into valuable resources through collaboration and practical reuse projects.

During this approximately one-hour interactive session, ReYorkshire will bring the principles discussed throughout the event into a local context, exploring what circular economy thinking could mean for SMEs in York and North Yorkshire.

The session will connect particularly strongly with the Japanese idea of mottainai: recognising the value in the resources we already have and avoiding unnecessary waste. It will encourage businesses to think differently about the materials and resources they use, what happens to them afterwards, and where collaboration with other organisations could create environmental and business value.

What you'll gain

By attending, you'll have the opportunity to:

🌏 Gain a fresh international perspective on sustainability and business resilience

♻️ Explore circular economy approaches to reducing waste and making better use of resources

💡 Discover practical ideas you could apply within your own organisation

🇯🇵 Learn from SMEs in Japan and consider how different cultural approaches could inspire action here

📍 Connect global thinking with local action through the work of ReYorkshire in York and North Yorkshire

🤝 Build relationships with like-minded businesses and regional partners

📚 Access practical resources and ideas to help your organisation become more sustainable and resilient

Who should attend?

This event is for SMEs and business leaders across York and North Yorkshire, Meaningful Business Network members, sustainability practitioners, policymakers and organisations supporting regional businesses.

You don't need to be an expert in sustainability, climate action or the circular economy. If you're interested in practical ideas, learning from other businesses and finding realistic ways to make your organisation more resilient, resource-efficient and sustainable, we'd be delighted to welcome you.

Description supplied by the event organiser.