New sustainable Lay's RePlay pitch opens in Italy
Thursday, October 12, 2023
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In Naples, the UEFA Foundation, Common Goal, and Lay's unite to promote sport, inclusion and sustainability.
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From Packs to Pitches: the UEFA Foundation for Children, Common Goal and Lay's proudly unveiled a new sustainable football pitch today in the heart of Naples, open to the local community and local sports associations.
The inauguration of the new sustainable pitch, made using recycled bags of crisp packets, was the perfect occasion to celebrate sport, inclusion and sustainability, and supports the recent development of the city's Scampia neighbourhood.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by a number of special guests to mark the occasion including Naples mayor Gaetano Manfredi and former Italian international and UEFA Champions League winner Ciro Ferrara, with a performance by singer-songwriter Dadà.
The Scampia district was chosen for this initiative to support its recent redevelopment launched as a series of initiatives promoted by Municipality 8 and local associations to address issues such as unemployment, poverty and inequalities.
Urs Kluser, General Secretary of the UEFA Foundation for Children
“The Lay's RePlay programme is not just about creating football facilities - it's about empowering communities, promoting inclusivity and championing environmental sustainability. This initiative represents a powerful example of how sport can be a catalyst for positive change on a global scale, and we're proud to be part of this journey."
Marcello Pincelli, PepsiCo Italia General Manager
"Providing everyone with access to the joy of sport is a long-standing goal of Lay's RePlay - this project embodies the transformation, moving from reusing empty packs of chip packages to creating football fields donated to local communities. The goal is to combine the passion for sport, social inclusion and environmental protection to promote a positive impact on a global scale."
The Lay's RePlay programme has successfully led to the creation of football facilities in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, Egypt, the United States and Italy. In the latter, the first pitch was inaugurated in the Cecchi Point district of Turin in May 2022. Since its launch, the Turin pitch has been used over 20,000 times, provided 1,225 hours of sport activities and life skills training and 213 hours of events and special activities for the community.
