DEBT - Schedule of Long-Term Debt (Detail) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 3,214,048,000	$ 1,659,215,000
Less: current portion of total debt	161,409,000	131,969,000
Long-term portion of total debt	3,052,639,000	1,527,246,000
Obligations under capital leases
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	15,024,000	9,185,000
$1.20 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.54%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	353,763,000	459,975,000
Maximum borrowing capacity of line of credit facility	$ 1,200,000,000.0000
Stated interest rate	1.54%
$1.25 billion term loan weighted average rate 1.71%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 1,250,000,000	0
Maximum borrowing capacity of line of credit facility	$ 1,250,000,000.0000
Stated interest rate	1.71%
$100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 0	100,000,000
$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	175,000,000.0
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 175,000,000	175,000,000
Stated interest rate	3.89%
$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 125,000,000.0
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 125,000,000	125,000,000
Stated interest rate	2.68%
$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 225,000,000.0
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 225,000,000	225,000,000
Stated interest rate	4.47%
$150 million private placement notes 2.89%, due in 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 150,000,000.0
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 150,000,000	0
Stated interest rate	2.89%
$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 125,000,000.0
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 125,000,000	125,000,000
Stated interest rate	3.26%
$200 million private placement notes 2.72%, due in 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 200,000,000.0
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 200,000,000	0
Stated interest rate	2.72%
$100 million private placement notes 2.79%, due in 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 100,000,000.0
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 100,000,000	0
Stated interest rate	2.79%
$150 million private placement notes 3.18%, due in 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$ 150,000,000.0
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 150,000,000	0
Stated interest rate	3.18%
Promissory notes and deferred consideration weighted average rate of 2.54% and weighted average maturity of 3.4 years
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 239,731,000	279,590,000
Weighted average interest rate	2.54%
Weighted average maturity	3 years 4 months 24 days
Foreign bank debt weighted average rate 8.98% and weighted average maturity of 2.1 years
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt obligations, carrying amount	$ 105,530,000	$ 160,465,000
Weighted average interest rate	8.98%
Weighted average maturity	2 years 1 month 6 days

Long Term Debt, Maturity

No definition available.

Name:	srcl_LongTermDebtMaturity
Namespace Prefix:	srcl_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all debt, including all short-term borrowings, long-term debt, and capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13,16)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03.16)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 55
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt and capital lease obligation due after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)
-Number Topic 6
-Section H

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of long-term debt and capital leases due within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongTermDebtAndCapitalLeaseObligationsCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_CapitalLeaseObligationsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_SeniorCreditFacilityDueSeptemberTwentySixteenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_TermLoanFacilityDueAugustTwentyTwentyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotesFivePointSixFourPercentDueInTwentyFifteenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotesThreePointEightNinePercentDueInTwentySeventeenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotesTwoPointSixEightPercentDueInTwentyNineteenMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotesFourPointFourSevenPercentDueInTwentyTwentyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotes2.89DueIn2021Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotesThreePointTwoSixPercentDueInTwentyTwentyTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotesTwoPointSevenTwoPercentDueInTwentyTwentyTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotesTwoPointSevenNinePercentDueInTwentyTwentyThreeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PrivatePlacementNotes3.18DueIn2023Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_PromissoryNotesandDeferredConsiderationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=srcl_ForeignLongTermDebtMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: