APSU student volunteers build on record recycling season with expanded sustainability programs

By: Kayla Miller-Zapata March 17, 2026

Amberthest Wertanen, AmeriCorps VISTA sustainability specialist, works with the APSU Recycling Team after the Nov. 16, 2025 home football game. | Photo by Kaos Armstrong

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Austin Peay State University’s Office of Community Engagement and Sustainability (CES) is expanding its campus initiatives this spring after student volunteers collected a record 330.6 pounds of recyclables during the 2025 football season.

The office also hosted its inaugural campus-wide Clothing and Thrift Swap on March 4 and is planning a World Water Day celebration for March 24. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the MUC Plaza, followed by a documentary screening at 6 p.m. in MUC 312.

Amberthest Wertanen, CES AmeriCorps VISTA sustainability specialist (at left), and Kayla Miller-Zapata, CES’s sustainability coordinator, at APSU’s inaugural Clothing and Thrift Swap. | Photo by Robyn Jacobs

“I am always excited to showcase how Austin Peay strives to be a green campus - whether it’s explaining where our recycling goes, supporting more water bottle filling stations in our building, or hosting environmental documentaries and events,” said Kayla Miller-Zapata, CES’s sustainability coordinator.

CES will also host its Earth Week programming from April 20-24, including the signature Plant the Campus Red initiative and various workshops and events.

“We have heard students express interest in learning how to sew and mend clothing, so we are offering a beginner sewing workshop for Earth Week, along with hosting the Earth Day Fair on April 22,” said Amberthest Wertanen, CES’s AmeriCorps VISTA sustainability specialist.

These initiatives build on the growing student engagement with campus sustainability, evidenced by the APSU Recycling Team’s success last semester. Twenty-three volunteers contributed 101 hours across six home football games, collecting 14,021 bottles and cans. The team also donated $103 in recycled aluminum to Clarksville’s Habitat for Humanity.

Priya Patel receives the Most Committed Volunteer award from the Office of Community Engagement and Sustainability for her work with the APSU Recycling Team. | Contributed photo

“It may be a small thing to clean up after a football game, but Mother Nature will be healing from that small impact,” said Priya Patel, a student who has served on the Recycling Team for three years.

Student volunteers make up most of the Recycling Team, monitoring recycling bins throughout the stadium and sorting materials behind the Shasteen Building. Wertanen leads recruitment and training for the program.

The APSU Recycling Team during Fall 2025. The group consists of student volunteers and collects aluminum cans and plastic bottles from the stands after home football games. | Contributed photo

CES continues year-round sustainability efforts funded by a $10 per semester student fee established in 2008. The office maintains 23 water filling stations across campus, manages seven solar charging stations, and offers community programming through APSU’s Outdoor Education Center, among other initiatives.

About the Office of Community Engagement and Sustainability

A part of the Division of Student Affairs, CES advocates and educates on environmental consciousness on campus. Sustainability is especially important on a college campus due to the impact on the environment through energy use, waste production, transportation, and food systems.

By adopting sustainable practices, campuses can reduce their environmental impact. Even small eco-friendly habits like using reusable items, turning off unused lights, or reducing food waste can add up to create a measurable reduction when the campus community becomes aware of these practices and participates. A sustainable campus supports healthier living spaces now and demonstrates a commitment to protecting natural resources in the future.

For more information, contact Sustainability Coordinator Kayla Miller-Zapata at millerzapatak@apsu.edu or 931-221-6642.