São Paulo, like many cities around the world, was confronted with a solid waste management issue: the city landfill was releasing methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.
Source: The ICLEI Case Study series

The "Bandeirantes Landfill Gas to Energy Project" (BLFGE) was developed by the City of São Paulo to collect and process biogas from the Bandeirantes Landfill to generate electricity at an on-site power plant. BLFGE was developed in response to a pressing environmental issue that posed a health risk to the local population and needlessly contributed to climate change. It is estimated that the project will prevent the release of more than 7,400,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere between 2004 and 2010, while producing clean energy, generating of additional revenue streams, increasing awareness of climate change and renewable energy in the community, and creating of jobs.