Asset Impairments and Unusual Items - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended					12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) Property Investment
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charges							$ 10	$ 509
(Income) expense from divestitures, asset impairments (other than goodwill) and unusual items						$ 82	(170)	464
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)						89	345	472
(Income) expense from divestitures						(7)	(515)	(8)
Recycling Operations [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charges				$ 10			10
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)						18
Majority-owned waste diversion technology company [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charges								9
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)								20
Waste Diversion Technology, Renewable Energy, Recycling, and Medical Waste Operations [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)							73
Investment in Waste Diversion Technology Company [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)				25
Impairment Charge							11
Impairment charge	$ 4			20		5	22	71
Gain on investment								4
Oil and Gas Well [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Impairment of oil and gas property to its estimated fair value	70			270		66	272	15
Fair value of oil and gas properties	$ 30					30
(Income) expense from divestitures		$ (6)
Landfill [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)								262
Waste-to-Energy Facility [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)								$ 144
Number of facilities impaired | Investment								3
Recycling Assets [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)								$ 31
Puerto Rico Operations [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
(Income) expense from divestitures					$ 25		25
Eastern Canada Area [Member] | Landfill [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)								$ 262
(Income) expense from divestitures							(18)
Number of facilities impaired | Property								2
Puerto Rico [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charges								$ 10
Wheelabrator [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Goodwill impairment charges								$ 483
(Income) expense from divestitures			$ 7	$ (519)			(519)
Proceeds from divestitures of businesses and other assets (net of cash divested)							$ 155
Western Canada Area [Member] | Landfill [Member]
Income Expense From Divestitures Asset Impairments And Unusual Items [Line Items]
Asset impairments (other than goodwill)						$ 5