Our business initiatives are designed to allow youth to earn money, learn skills and become engaged citizens while providing necessary services to our community and environment.

The money generated by our business initiatives is used to offset the cost of operating our job experience program.

We're always interested in new ventures. Please contact us if you think Youth LIVE could enhance your business.

• Residential Environmental Depot - Residents bring their refundable beverage containers to our Enviro Depot at 947 Mitchell Street, Halifax. Participants sort and count the beverage containers and issue the appropriate refund to the customer. The containers are bagged for shipping to a recycling plant. Resident may also bring in old paint to be recycled. The Enviro Depot is open Monday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Commercial Environmental Depot - Some residents still dispose of refundable beverage containers with their regular garbage. At the Otter Lake Landfill, refundable beverage containers are separated from the garbage. Youth LIVE picks up and transports the separated containers to our Mitchell Street Enviro Depot, where participants sort, count and bag the containers for shipping to a recycling plant.

• Commercial Recycling Pick Up Service - Youth LIVE picks up recyclable paper, cardboard and refundable beverage containers from businesses throughout HRM and transports the paper product to our facility at 1300 St. Margaret's Bay Road. Participants sort, count and bundle the product for shipping to a recycling plant. Refundable containers are taken to our Mitchell Street Enviro Depot. Please call us at 490-7370 for an estimate on the cost of Youth LIVE providing this service to your business.

• Organic Green Cart Service - Youth LIVE delivers organic green carts to residents and makes repairs to damaged carts on behalf of HRM Solid Waste Resources. Call the HRM Call Centre at 490-4000 (toll free in Nova Scotia at 1-800-835-6428) if you need a green cart or your cart requires repairs.

• By-Law Services Remedies - Property owners found to be in violation of HRM legislation respecting Dangerous or Unsightly Properties, Curbside Solid Waste or Sidewalk Snow and Ice Removal are given a specific period of time to bring their properties into compliance. If they don’t, the HRM will step in and remedy the violations. Simple remedies such as debris removal, grass cutting and boarding up vacant buildings are usually done by Youth LIVE. Along with learning a variety of transferable skills such as property maintenance, safe use of equipment and dealing with irate or emotional individuals, participants receive a first hand lesson in civic responsibility and the importance of being a good neighbour.