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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 19, 2014
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]          
Goodwill $ 5,740us-gaap_Goodwill $ 6,070us-gaap_Goodwill $ 6,291us-gaap_Goodwill $ 6,070us-gaap_Goodwill  
Decrease in goodwill during the period 330us-gaap_GoodwillPeriodIncreaseDecrease        
Goodwill impairments 10us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss 509us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss 4us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss    
Amortization expenses for other intangible assets 78wm_FiniteLivedOtherIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenses 80wm_FiniteLivedOtherIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenses 69wm_FiniteLivedOtherIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenses    
Indefinite-lived intangible assets 19us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsExcludingGoodwill        
Expected amortization expenses related to other intangible assets in 2015 69us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseNextTwelveMonths        
Expected amortization expenses related to other intangible assets in 2016 62us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearTwo        
Expected amortization expenses related to other intangible assets in 2017 55us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearThree        
Expected amortization expenses related to other intangible assets in 2018 50us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFour        
Expected amortization expenses related to other intangible assets in 2019 43us-gaap_FiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsAmortizationExpenseYearFive        
Puerto Rico [Member]          
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]          
Goodwill impairments   10us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= country_PR
     
Recycling [Member]          
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]          
Goodwill impairments   4us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wm_RecyclingMember
     
Wheelabrator [Member]          
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]          
Goodwill   305us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wm_WheelabratorMember
788us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wm_WheelabratorMember
305us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wm_WheelabratorMember
305us-gaap_Goodwill
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wm_WheelabratorMember
Goodwill impairments   $ 483us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wm_WheelabratorMember
  $ 483us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= wm_WheelabratorMember