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Organization, Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Carrying Values and Fair Values of Debt Instruments) (Detail) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Carrying value of senior notes $ 1,979,565,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt $ 2,072,975,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
Senior Notes due 2015 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Carrying value of senior notes 175,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandFifteenMember		 175,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandFifteenMember
Fair value of senior notes 181,476,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandFifteenMember		 [1] 187,206,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandFifteenMember		 [1]
Interest rate of senior notes 6.22%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandFifteenMember		 6.22%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandFifteenMember
Senior note year due 2015 2015
Senior Notes due 2016 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Carrying value of senior notes 100,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandSixteenMember		 100,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandSixteenMember
Fair value of senior notes 102,253,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandSixteenMember		 [1] 102,066,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandSixteenMember		 [1]
Interest rate of senior notes 3.30%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandSixteenMember		 3.30%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandSixteenMember
Senior note year due 2016 2016
Senior Notes due 2018 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Carrying value of senior notes 50,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandEighteenMember		 50,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandEighteenMember
Fair value of senior notes 52,500,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandEighteenMember		 [1] 50,992,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandEighteenMember		 [1]
Interest rate of senior notes 4.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandEighteenMember		 4.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandEighteenMember
Senior note year due 2018 2018
Senior Notes due 2019 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Carrying value of senior notes 175,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandNineteenMember		 175,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandNineteenMember
Fair value of senior notes 192,974,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandNineteenMember		 [1] 185,037,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandNineteenMember		 [1]
Interest rate of senior notes 5.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandNineteenMember		 5.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandNineteenMember
Senior note year due 2019 2019
Senior Notes due 2021 [Member]    
Debt Instrument [Line Items]    
Carrying value of senior notes 100,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandTwentyOneMember		 100,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandTwentyOneMember
Fair value of senior notes $ 108,088,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandTwentyOneMember		 [1] $ 100,341,000us-gaap_LongTermDebtFairValue
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandTwentyOneMember		 [1]
Interest rate of senior notes 4.64%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandTwentyOneMember		 4.64%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= wcn_NotesTwoThousandTwentyOneMember
Senior note year due 2021 2021
[1] Senior Notes are classified as Level 2 within the fair value hierarchy. Fair value is based on quotes of bonds with similar ratings in similar industries.