OC Connections Enterprises (OCCE), a Melbourne-based Social Traders certified social enterprise, has made a significant impact by providing employment opportunities for over one hundred people living with disabilities.

In 2019, OCCE identified a unique opportunity to intersect its capabilities with the needs of social procurement buyers under the Victorian State Government's Social Procurement framework.

After thorough research and assessment, OCCE focussed on a pressing issue: temporary traffic bollards. These bollards, typically made from virgin plastic and imported, contribute to landfill overflow due to their short lifespan and lack of recycling options. In response, OCCE developed the OC Eco T-Top Bollard®, a sustainable alternative crafted from recycled materials, including recovered bollards and locally sourced post-industrial and post-consumer plastic.

The impact of the OC Eco T-Top Bollard® has been remarkable. With nearly 30,000 bollards procured since its launch, OCCE has facilitated over 3000 hours of meaningful work for individuals with disabilities. Moreover, they've diverted 24.9 tons of plastic from landfills and reduced fossil fuel usage by 52.5 tons, all while injecting over $800,000 back into the local economy.

OCCE were also able to integrate other certified social enterprises into the OC Eco T-Top Bollard® supply chain, including Ability Works for the supply of the jigs used to add the strips, La Trobe Valley Enterprises for the cutting and printing of the retroreflective strips and Wallara for 3PL solutions.

This is a great example of a certified social enterprise that has been able to identify a market-opportunity and respond successfully. This success was enabled by thorough market and product research through the development process, and support from other social enterprises and buyers alike.

OCCE recently won two awards at the 2024 Monash Business Awards for Best Not-for-Profit and Overall Business of the Year. Congratulations to OCCE on this fantastic achievement!

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