Lay’s RePlay

Location and general information

Ongoing

Location UK, South Africa, Brazil, Italy, USA, Mexico, Turkey and Egypt

Start date 01/01/2021

End date 12/31/2023

Cost of the project €tbc

Foundation funding €200,000

Project identifier 20200100

Partners Lay’s, Common Goal

Context

Lay's RePlay – an innovative global initiative in partnership with the UEFA Foundation for Children and streetfootballworld – aims to bring joy to communities around the world by transforming empty crisp packets into sustainable football pitches, leading to positive outcomes for people and the planet.

Eleven community mini pitches composed partially of reused empty crisp packets have been constructed in:

Tembisa, South Africa
Leicester, UK
São Paulo, Brazil
Turin, Italy
Iztapalapa, Mexico
Santa Ana, USA
Gaziantep, Turkey
Cairo, Egypt
Naples, Italy
Santa Marta, Colombia
Bilbao, Spain

Tapping into the global passion for football, these pitches will become sustainable hubs for

positive community transformation.

Project content

Lay’s RePlay provides artificial five-a-side pitches that are ideal for communities with limited access to spaces where they can enjoy the game and develop their skills.

It works with local partners to build spaces and programmes that bring people together and drive positive change for generations to come – it’s much more than just a pitch.

The project’s long-term educational sporting programmes harness the positive power of play and football to address social issues impacting local communities through their four key aims: creating a sense of belonging, increasing engagement, fostering safety, and granting access to sport.

Objectives

Lay's RePlay places a strong emphasis on including community members and local organisations throughout the planning, construction and maintenance of each pitch, with a view to developing programmes that can address the specific social issues affecting each community while also fostering safe access to sport. Each pitch is constructed using partially recycled material and the aim is to deliver them with a net-zero carbon footprint.

Project activities

Multiple stakeholders are involved in creating the mini pitches, each of which takes an average of 8 to 12 months to complete. The local partner in each location will lead the process, in close collaboration with streetfootballworld.

Community engagement will be integral; the community is seen not as a recipient, but as part of the decision-making process. It is a participatory project, with an emphasis on talking to community stakeholders, understanding their needs, appreciating their contexts, and collaborating to find optimal solutions. The community is involved in the project before, during and after construction, and preference is given to local sources to ensure capacity development and build trust.

Expected results

Eight community football pitches will have been created by the end of 2022.
Recycled crisp packets constitute 32% of the material used to construct the pitches, and each community will become more aware of sustainable practices.
The artificial turf and the substrate on which it rests (Ecocept™) are 100% recyclable, thanks to the compression of recycled plastic.
Local communities in all locations are closely involved in the process.
Girls and boys have equal access to a space to play football.
Educational sporting programmes provide tailor-made support to the local community and drive positive change for generations to come.

First results in the UK, South Africa, Brazil and Italy

Local organisations have organised football and other sports sessions as well as educational initiatives to combat the social challenges faced by their communities. Themes tackled include female participation, physical and mental health, education and drugs.
Members of the community benefit from a new football pitch that remains open outside of the organised sessions.