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The UEFA Foundation for Children, PepsiCo Egypt, Common Goal, Aspire and the Association for the Protection of the Environment from Pollution (A.P.E) partnered up to create a first-of-its-kind sustainable football pitch in Cairo by recycling crisp packets.
Egypt becomes the latest country to benefit from the Lay’s RePlay initiative, following the opening of six similar sustainable football pitches in South Africa, England, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, and the US over the past few months.
Urs Kluser, general secretary of the UEFA Foundation for Children, said, “This is a fantastic way to bring children together in a safe place and give them access to sport through the Chipsy RePlay pitch. It creates strong bonds between children. Together, we have created a place to inspire young people and teach them the values of respect, discipline, and teamwork through the magic of football.”
Mohamed Shelbaya, CEO of PepsiCo North Africa, stated: “At PepsiCo, we believe that creating a brighter tomorrow starts with fostering community power. This belief lies at the core of everything we do, and it drives us to bring joy to the Egyptian community one crisp and one bag at a time. Building upon decades of experience bringing people together with a game, we are proudly introducing Chipsy RePlay #ChangetheGame, creating a safe, inclusive, and nurturing space for the Egyptian community to enjoy the beauty of football, while minimizing the environmental impact. Our vision goes beyond creating just a planet-positive pitch, we are working with local partners to build spaces and programmes that can deliver long-term positive impact and make actual change for generations to come.”
Former Egyptian international and Lay’s RePlay ambassador Mido said, “I am honoured to be part of RePlay, a project that is providing communities across the globe with the opportunity to fall in love with football, just like I did. As someone who has personally experienced the transformative power of sports, I know how important it is to give everyone, especially youth the chance to discover their potential and pursue their dreams. RePlay is making that possible, and I am proud to be a part of it. Together, we can inspire the next generation and create a world where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and enjoy the beauty of the game.”
Tamer Isaac, co-founder of Aspire, said “At Aspire we believe that every individual, regardless of their background, deserves the opportunity to explore their talents and witness the power of possibilities. Sports can provide opportunities for young people to develop their skills, build confidence, and engage with their communities. Our hope is that this pitch, with the support of our partners, will make a difference and become a guiding light in Mansheyet Nasser, illuminating the path towards a brighter future.”
Syada Greiss, head of APE’s board of directors, stated “Ever since the establishment of the Association for the Protection of the Environment in the community of Mansheyet Nasser, every possible effort has been exerted to improve living standards and livelihoods of families particularly women through interventions in education, health and income generation. This initiative is in line with the association’s sustainable programmes and highlights the private sector’s role in driving positive impact for local communities.”
The new pitch is part of a broader partnership between PepsiCo Egypt, A.P.E and Aspire, to develop educational sporting programmes that offer support to the local community and drive positive change by creating a sense of belonging, increasing engagement, fostering safety, and granting access to sports.
About Lay’s RePlay pitches
Lay’s RePlay is a global initiative led by Lay’s global brand, which was introduced in 2021 with the establishment of a sustainable RePlay pitch in South Africa.
The initial project garnered positive responses from local communities, resulting in the creation of additional RePlay football fields across different countries. These fields have provided support to over 20,000 community members so far, and the initiative is expected to expand in the coming years.
Utilising cutting-edge sustainable technology, Lay’s RePlay pitches breathes new life into discarded crisp packets, accounting for 32% of the pitch’s composition. Additionally, the turf and shockpad layer are entirely recyclable. Every aspect of RePlay pitches, from material selection to installation, is meticulously designed to minimise environmental impact, preserve biodiversity, and benefit local communities in each respective country.
