There is a spot on the Pacific Coast Highway between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach that signifies home for Arianna Criscione. Throughout her youth, those beaches saw her playing football, volleyball, any sport, with her sister, friends and family. Since then, as a member of the Division 1 Féminine first place Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) team, Criscione has seen the ocean from several countries and continents. The Southern California native went to college in New England, interned in Portugal and has played in Sweden, Norway, Holland and Italy. Now in Paris, she helps protect the PSG goal and is helping drive the club’s sustainability measures going forward.

In her conversation with Ocean Conservancy’s Jordana Lewis, Senior Manager of Communications, Criscione compares some of her favorite beaches from her travels, saying that she prefers the cold Pacific water versus warmer waters and how she enjoyed the ability to see her feet through the water when she first went to Sardinia.

Always in the Water

She may be playing for one of the biggest teams in the world, but Criscione’s athletic endeavors began on the beaches of Southern California. Not the type to sit still on the sand, she was always on the move, whether it was boogie boarding, skim boarding or any other water activity.

Making Progress on Plastics

All single-use plastics at PSG are gradually being removed from club operations. As new vendor contracts come up, single-use plastic prohibitions are put in place. Water fountains are everywhere so that players have the option to forgo disposable plastic water bottles. Thanks to her and club leadership, a wide array of disposal bin options are available at the club’s training facility.

Trash on the Beach—Even the Dogs Can See It

Even dogs are noticing trash-filled beaches. Criscione explains that her dogs find an array of trash when going for walks on the beach. What are some of the things washing up on California shores? According to Ocean Conservancy’s 2020 ICC Report, it’s a safe bet that some of the trash Arianna and her dogs have found include cigarette butts (171,506) and plastic food wrappers (87,993).

Scandanavian Countries Recycling Right

According to Criscione, who has lived all over Europe, she’s seen Scandinavian countries leading on recycling, composting and waste management. And while there are residential recycling regulations in place in Paris, not everyone has easy access to proper disposal bins.

New PSG Training Center

It will be impossible to build new stadiums without sustainability as a priority. PSG is currently building a new training center with sustainability integrated into the planning. Recycling of water, composting, tree planting and other landscaping practices along with the elimination of single-use plastics mentioned by Criscione show that PSG is putting action behind their words.

This is another step that Paris is taking on climate, following the recent news that the city will be transforming the Champs-Élysées into an “extraordinary garden.” Ocean Conservancy, the country and the world are excited that President Joe Biden has recommitted the United States to the Paris Climate Agreement. As with the plastics crisis and the issues Criscione and so many of us are concerned about regarding our ocean and our environment, we cannot wait any longer for action.