From packs to pitches: recycling crisps bags into sports base layers

Lay’s® RePlay, a new global initiative, brings joy to deserving communities through the power of football by installing sustainable turf pitches around the world. Lay’s partnered with the UEFA Foundation for children, Streetfootballworld and GreenFields to reuse empty chip packs to help create sustainable football pitches.

The project maximizes social value, while minimizing environmental impact. In partnership with GreenFields, empty Lay’s chip packets are collected and given a second life – shredded and converted into pellets that become part of the Ecocept™ base layer. The turf, a GreenFields MX NF woven non-infill pitch is developed for long-lasting, high-performance play. The pile of the pitch consists of resilient but soft to touch pile yarns in two different shapes and are combined with a voluminous air texturized thatch layer that replaces infill. GreenFields MX NF is made from one polymer family and can be recycled into high grade polymeric granules for new applications. At the end of its long life (approx. 20 years) Ecocept can be re-granulated and paved again to extend the life cycle of the system, for a truly circular solution.

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. In the first year alone, the pitches will offer more than 3,600 hours of play and educational-sporting programs benefiting over 16,000 members of the community.

Long-time global Lay’s ambassador, 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.”