Lay’s  RePlay global initiative to reuse empty chip packs to create football pitches

26 / 06 / 2021

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Lay’s – one of PepsiCo brands – announced a new global initiative, Lay’s RePlay, which aims to reuse empty chip packs to help create sustainable football pitches.

Lay’s teamed up with the UEFA Foundation for children and streetfootballworld to launch the initiative which aims also at uniting communities and driving positive outcomes for people and the planet.

Sebnem Erim, VP, Marketing, Global Foods of PepsiCo,  said “Providing people with joy one chip and one bag at a time is at the heart of our brand. Building upon decades of experience bringing people together with the game, we are proud to introduce Lay’s RePlay. More than just a planet positive pitch, we are working with local partners to build spaces and programs that can deliver positive impact and change for generations to come.”

Up to five Lay’s RePlay football pitches are expected to open in 2021 around the world, with the first in Tembisa, South Africa, followed by communities in Russia, Brazil, Turkey, and the UK. With the potential of more than 3,600 hours of play and educational-sporting programs benefiting over 16,000 members of the community in the first year alone, Lay’s RePlay places strong emphasis on including community members and local organizations throughout the planning, construction and maintenance phases of each pitch, with the goal to develop programming that can address social issues impacting each community, while fostering safe access to the sport. For example, in South Africa, local programming looks to empower youth, promote inclusivity, and share key life skills and pro-social behaviors with EduFootball sessions.

Supported by long-time global Lay’s ambassador and six-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi shares, “I was lucky enough to start playing football at a young age and it transformed my life. Everyone deserves the chance to play and fall in love with the sport, and Lay’s RePlay is giving communities across the world that opportunity. I’m proud to give back through this project and excited about the impact it can have on the next generation.”

Lay’s RePlay pitches maximize social value, while minimizing environmental impact. From the materials making the pitch to the installation, the pitches are designed to be as environmentally sustainable as possible. In partnership with GreenFields, a global artificial pitch manufacturer, the empty Lay’s chip packets are collected from local waste and recycling partnerships and given a second life – shredded and converted into pellets that form the underlying layer beneath the turf, called Ecocept™. Both the turf and Ecocept™ layer are 100% recyclable at the end of their life span. Beyond the turf, Lay’s has committed to adopt a carbon compensation strategy that will ensure all pitches deliver a net zero carbon footprint over their life spans of an estimated 10 years.

This global initiative and commitment by Lay’s has been verified by independent consultancy, Good Business, with an in-depth study finding that Lay’s RePlay pitches have a significantly lower environmental impact than alternative artificial pitches across several areas, including: reduced greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic pollution, recyclable material and turf, ecological disturbance, and water usage.

Aleksander Čeferin, Chairman of UEFA Foundation for children, states, “We’ve seen first-hand how football and sport can be used to better people’s lives. By working together and supporting Lay’s RePlay, we are having an instant impact on thousands of people who may not otherwise have anywhere to play or an opportunity to develop for the better.”

Lay’s has longstanding ties in the football community and is an official partner of the Men’s UEFA Champions League and UEFA Women’s football. The brand launches Lay’s RePlay as a progression of the artificial pitches it developed with the UEFA Foundation for children.