Employee Benefit Plans - Individually Significant Multiemployer Pension Plans (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Total Company Contributions to Individually Significant Plans	$ 40	$ 37	$ 37
Contributions to other Multi Employer Pension Plans	7	6	7
Company Contributions	$ 47	$ 43	44
Automotive Industries Pension Plan [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
EIN	941133245
Pension Plan Number	001
Pension Protection Act Zone Status	Red	Red
FIP/RP Status	Implemented
Expiration date of Collective-Bargaining Agreement	Various dates through 6/30/2018
Company Contributions	$ 1	$ 1	1
Distributors Association Warehousemen's Pension Trust [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
EIN	940294755
Pension Plan Number	002
Pension Protection Act Zone Status	Red	Red
FIP/RP Status	Implemented
Expiration date of Collective-Bargaining Agreement	4/7/2018
Company Contributions	$ 1	$ 1	1
Local 731 Private Scavengers and Garage Attendants Pension Trust Fund [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
EIN	366513567
Pension Plan Number	001
Pension Protection Act Zone Status	Green	Yellow
FIP/RP Status	Implemented
Expiration date of Collective-Bargaining Agreement	9/30/2018
Company Contributions	$ 7	$ 7	6
Suburban Teamsters of Northern Illinois Pension Plan [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
EIN	366155778
Pension Plan Number	001
Pension Protection Act Zone Status	Yellow	Red
FIP/RP Status	Implemented
Expiration date of Collective-Bargaining Agreement	Various dates through 9/30/2017
Company Contributions	$ 3	$ 2	3
Teamsters Local 301 Pension Plan [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
EIN	366492992
Pension Plan Number	001
Pension Protection Act Zone Status	Green	Green
FIP/RP Status	NA
Expiration date of Collective-Bargaining Agreement	9/30/2018
Company Contributions	$ 2	$ 1	1
Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
EIN	916145047
Pension Plan Number	001
Pension Protection Act Zone Status	Green	Green
FIP/RP Status	NA
Expiration date of Collective-Bargaining Agreement	Various dates through 12/31/2019
Company Contributions	$ 25	$ 24	24
Western Pennsylvania Teamsters and Employers Pension Plan [Member]
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
EIN	256029946
Pension Plan Number	001
Pension Protection Act Zone Status	Red	Red
FIP/RP Status	Implemented
Expiration date of Collective-Bargaining Agreement	12/31/2016; 90-day extension with agreements currently under negotiation
Company Contributions	$ 1	$ 1	$ 1

The Tax Identification Number (TIN), also known as an Employer Identification Number (EIN), is a unique 9-digit value assigned by the IRS.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation 12B
-Number 240
-Section 12b
-Subsection 1

+ Details

Name:	dei_EntityTaxIdentificationNumber
Namespace Prefix:	dei_
Data Type:	dei:nineDigitItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Three digit plan number for a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanNumber
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	us-types:threeDigitItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of contributions made to multiemployer plans by the employer. A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450702-114947

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 9
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450691-114947

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (e)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanPeriodContributions
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Indicate the multiemployer plan's certified zone status as currently required by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 or a subsequent amendment thereof. The zone status categories are red (critical status), orange (seriously endangered), yellow (endangered), and green (none of the above). The acceptable values are "red", "orange", "yellow", "green", "other", and "NA". A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlansCertifiedZoneStatus
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	us-types:zoneStatusItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Description of the significant collective-bargaining arrangements within the range of expiration dates for collective-bargaining arrangements requiring contributions to a multiemployer plan as well as other information to help investors understand the significance of the collective-bargaining agreements and when they expire. A multiemployer plan is a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (d)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

+ Details

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

- Definition

Indicate whether a funding improvement plan or rehabilitation plan has been implemented or is pending for a pension or postretirement benefit plan to which two or more unrelated employers contribute where assets contributed by one participating employer may be used to provide benefits to employees of other participating employers. The acceptable values are "no", "pending", "implemented", "other", and "NA".

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 715
-SubTopic 80
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (f)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65877416&loc=SL14450657-114947

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlansFundingImprovementPlanAndRehabilitationPlan
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	us-types:fundingImprovementAndRehabilitationPlanItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

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

- Definition

Contributions to other multiemployer plans.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wm_ContributionsToOtherMultiemployerPlans
Namespace Prefix:	wm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of contributions made to multiemployer pension plans, excluding contributions to plans which are individually significant and group together for presentation purposes.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wm_MultiemployerPlanPeriodContributionsExcludingAmountsToIndividuallySignificantPensionPlans
Namespace Prefix:	wm_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanNameAxis=wm_AutomotiveIndustriesPensionPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanNameAxis=wm_DistributorsAssociationWarehousemensPensionTrustMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanNameAxis=wm_LocalSevenHundredAndThirtyOnePrivateScavengersAndGarageAttendantsPensionTrustFundMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanNameAxis=wm_SuburbanTeamstersOfNorthernIllinoisPensionPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanNameAxis=wm_TeamsterLocalThreeHundredAndOnePensionPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanNameAxis=wm_WesternConferenceOfTeamstersPensionPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MultiemployerPlanNameAxis=wm_WesternPennsylvaniaTeamstersAndEmployersPensionPlanMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: