The Argentine team **NBRaINS**, belonging to the environmental firm **Benito Roggio Ambiental (BRa)**, was selected as one of the 17 winners of the first phase of the **Luna Recycle Challenge**, a global competition organized by **NASA**. A competition to find [recycling solutions](https://noticiasambientales.com/residuos/san-nicolas-extiende-su-plan-de-reciclaje-y-promueve-la-separacion-de-residuos-en-toda-la-ciudad/) applicable to **long-duration space missions**, such as those planned by the **Artemis program**.
Chosen among more than **1,200 projects from 86 countries**, NBRaINS was recognized in the **”Prototype”** category for having developed a device that **recycles polyethylene and nitrile gloves (NBR)** transforming them into **filaments for 3D printers**, with the aim of manufacturing everyday use objects in conditions of low gravity and enclosed environments like those of a future lunar base.
Innovation Beyond Earth
“Participating in the Luna Recycle Challenge represents a challenge that transcends the limits of the known,” highlighted **Héctor Carminatti**, general manager of BRa. For the company, this achievement reinforces its commitment to applying scientific and technological knowledge to [environmental challenges](https://noticiasambientales.com/residuos/tecnologia-en-desuso-ambiente-en-alerta-mendoza-la-dara-una-nueva-oportunidad-a-los-residuos-electronicos/) both on Earth and beyond.
For over a decade, BRa has been driving its own Research, Development, and Innovation (R&D&I) area, being the **first environmental services company in Argentina with a specialized scientific team in waste**.
NASA Competition: Space Recycling, Local Impact
The recognition from NASA positions NBRaINS as one of the **four awarded international projects** in a contest mostly dominated by American proposals. It also reaffirms the potential of Argentine scientific talent to address **complex sustainability issues in extreme contexts**.
The proposed technology has a strong foundation in the concept of a **closed-loop resource system**, essential for future lunar or Martian habitats where the reuse of materials will be crucial.
Environmental Trajectory and Operations at Scale
At a national level, BRa processes annually:
– More than **750,000 tons of municipal solid waste**
– More than **5 million tons treated and disposed**
– Generation of green energy from biogas for over **17,000 households**
– Production of **165,000 tons of compost** and bio-stabilized material
With this experience, the company integrates large-scale value recovery practices with proposals of **high technological components**, designed to face **the environmental future on Earth and beyond**.
