Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Equity [Abstract]

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

14. Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

The changes in the balances of each component of accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, which is included as a component of Waste Management, Inc. stockholders’ equity, are as follows (in millions, with amounts in parentheses representing decreases to accumulated other comprehensive income):

	Derivative Instruments			Available- for-Sale Securities			Foreign Currency Translation Adjustments			Post- Retirement Benefit Plans			Total
Balance, December 31, 2012	$	(74	)	$	4		$	276		$	(13	)	$	193
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications, net of tax expense (benefit) of $9, $1, $0 and $10, respectively		14			2			(68	)		15			(37	)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax (expense) benefit of $(1), $0, $0 and $0, respectively		(2	)		—			—			—			(2	)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)		12			2			(68	)		15			(39	)
Balance, December 31, 2013	$	(62	)	$	6		$	208		$	2		$	154
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications, net of tax expense (benefit) of $4, $2, $0 and $(8), respectively		6			4			(107	)		(11	)		(108	)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax (expense) benefit of $(3), $0, $0 and $0, respectively		(5	)		—			(17	)		(1	)		(23	)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)		1			4			(124	)		(12	)		(131	)
Balance, December 31, 2014	$	(61	)	$	10		$	84		$	(10	)	$	23
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications, net of tax expense (benefit) of $20, $(1), $0 and $1, respectively		30			(2	)		(164	)		2			(134	)
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax (expense) benefit of $(14), $0, $0 and $0, respectively		(21	)		—			5			—			(16	)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)		9			(2	)		(159	)		2			(150	)
Balance, December 31, 2015	$	(52	)	$	8		$	(75	)	$	(8	)	$	(127	)

The amounts of other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications associated with the effective portion of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges are as follows (in millions):

	Years Ended December 31,
	2015			2014			2013
Forward-starting interest rate swaps	$	—		$	(8	)	$	14
Foreign currency derivatives		50			23			17
Electricity commodity derivatives		—			(5	)		(8	)
Total before tax		50			10			23
Tax (expense) benefit		(20	)		(4	)		(9	)
Net of tax	$	30		$	6		$	14

The significant amounts reclassified out of each component of accumulated other comprehensive income are as follows (in millions, with amounts in parentheses representing debits to the statement of operations classification):

	Years Ended December 31,									Statement of Operations Classification
	2015			2014			2013
Gains and losses on cash flow hedges:
Forward-starting interest rate swaps	$	(12	)	$	(10	)	$	(7	)	Interest expense, net
Treasury rate locks		(4	)		(1	)		(2	)	Interest expense, net
Foreign currency derivatives		51			27			21		Other, net
Electricity commodity derivatives		—			(8	)		(9	)	Operating revenues
		35			8			3		Total before tax
		(14	)		(3	)		(1	)	Tax (expense) benefit
Total reclassifications for the period	$	21		$	5		$	2		Net of tax