FYCH and the EIC Accelerator: Recycling Multilayer Plastic

FYCH Technologies, incorporated in November 2020 by Oksana Horodytska, Andrea Cabanes and Andrés Fullana after years of research at the University of Alicante and led by Cabanes as chief executive, recycles multilayer plastic packaging such as drinks cartons and bag-in-box bags, which fuse several polymers, aluminium, inks and adhesives and are mostly landfilled or burned. Its EIC Accelerator project, ReMLP, "Recycling Multi-Layer Plastic", receives an EU contribution of €2,297,532 and runs from January 2025 to December 2026, according to CORDIS. It aims to scale a patented water-based delamination and steam-stripping process from a TRL 6 prototype to a 500 kg per hour industrial pilot at TRL 8, and to begin EFSA food-contact and UNE-EN 15343 certification.

In the first period, the report says, the plant design was completed, equipment moved through procurement and pre-installation, trials on the three target waste streams confirmed technical feasibility and initial recycled samples were "successfully tested with industrial partners", according to CORDIS. The same report lists what remains: full industrial demonstration, better quality for demanding applications, "resolution of specific-migration challenges", stable access to feedstock and markets, and more investment. In November 2025 FYCH closed a Series A of more than €6 million in grants and capital, co-led by Lombard Odier Investment Managers and the EIC Fund, according to Economia 3.

Where FYCH Stands Now

FYCH has opened a plant of more than 5,000 square metres in three industrial buildings in Hondón de las Nieves, financed with more than €8 million from the EIC, Lombard Odier's Plastic Circularity Fund backed by the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and Spain's plastics PERTE programme, according to AVEP. It processes polyaluminium from drinks cartons and bag-in-box structures, and FYCH "starts its large-scale commercial activity" in the second half of 2026. The Spanish register lists sales in the €500,000 to €1 million bracket for its latest filed year, a board of directors in place of a sole administrator since February 2026 and two capital increases, according to Empresia.

The Technology: Peeling Packaging Apart With Water

More than 40 million tonnes of multilayer plastic are generated each year, and solvent or chemical methods are slow, expensive and toxic, the EIC report says. FYCH microperforates the material, separates the layers with water and detergents without degrading the polymers, and removes odours and contaminants with steam. The company presents this as cheaper and less centralised than pyrolysis or dissolution recycling, according to AVEP. Its revenue model includes licensing the process to recyclers worldwide.

What the EIC Award Promised, and What the Record Shows

The project runs to December 2026, so it is too early to judge it. The industrial plant exists and, according to Economia 3, the EIC Fund co-led the Series A. The harder goals, food-contact grade output and certification, are open: preliminary tests passed global migration limits, but the report itself flags specific-migration problems still being fixed.

1. Industrial pilot plantBuiltOpened 2026.
2. Three waste streams validatedLab and pilotNot yet industrial.
3. Food-contact qualityIn progressMigration issues.
4. EFSA and EN 15343 certificationNot announcedNo certificate public.

The Money

The EIC is on both sides of FYCH's funding: the grant and a stake through the EIC Fund, which co-led the Series A. Figures reported for the round differ: Economia 3 gives more than €6 million in grants and capital, including a €4 million equity round with Lombard Odier, and AVEP gives more than €8 million for the plant including the PERTE grant.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

EU packaging rules push for recyclable packaging and recycled content, and multilayer packaging is one of the hardest streams to meet them. The company projects that by 2029 ReMLP could keep over 100,000 tonnes of multilayer plastic out of landfill and incineration, the EIC report says, a figure far beyond the capacity of one plant and dependent on licensing.

The Verdict

FYCH Technologies and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.