Segment and Related Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Summarized financial information concerning our reportable segments as of December 31 and for the years then ended is shown in the following table (in millions):


							Income
	Gross		Intercompany		Net		from		Depreciation		Capital		Total
	Operating		Operating		Operating		Operations		and		Expenditures		Assets
	Revenues		Revenues(c)		Revenues		(d)(e)		Amortization		(f)		(g)(h)
Years Ended December 31:
2018
Solid Waste:
Tier 1	$	5,868	$	(1,063)	$	4,805	$	1,642	$	510	$	595	$	6,958
Tier 2		2,622		(487)		2,135		542		232		257		3,761
Tier 3		7,047		(1,365)		5,682		1,211		614		547		9,119
Solid Waste		15,537		(2,915)		12,622		3,395		1,356		1,399		19,838
Other (a)		2,487		(195)		2,292		(66)		91		72		1,571
		18,024		(3,110)		14,914		3,329		1,447		1,471		21,409
Corporate and Other (b)		—		—		—		(540)		30		200		1,487
Total	$	18,024	$	(3,110)	$	14,914	$	2,789	$	1,477	$	1,671	$	22,896

2017
Solid Waste:
Tier 1	$	5,576	$	(1,002)	$	4,574	$	1,538	$	451	$	603	$	6,528
Tier 2		2,559		(443)		2,116		552		203		185		3,749
Tier 3		6,697		(1,220)		5,477		1,199		574		595		8,727
Solid Waste		14,832		(2,665)		12,167		3,289		1,228		1,383		19,004
Other (a)		2,538		(220)		2,318		(68)		103		93		1,785
		17,370		(2,885)		14,485		3,221		1,331		1,476		20,789
Corporate and Other (b)		—		—		—		(585)		45		92		1,327
Total	$	17,370	$	(2,885)	$	14,485	$	2,636	$	1,376	$	1,568	$	22,116

2016
Solid Waste:
Tier 1	$	5,241	$	(911)	$	4,330	$	1,430	$	424	$	452	$	6,188
Tier 2		2,400		(404)		1,996		522		190		157		3,562
Tier 3		6,327		(1,137)		5,190		994		530		589		8,497
Solid Waste		13,968		(2,452)		11,516		2,946		1,144		1,198		18,247
Other (a)		2,278		(185)		2,093		(100)		101		104		1,489
		16,246		(2,637)		13,609		2,846		1,245		1,302		19,736
Corporate and Other (b)		—		—		—		(550)		56		45		1,401
Total	$	16,246	$	(2,637)	$	13,609	$	2,296	$	1,301	$	1,347	$	21,137

(a)

Our “Other” net operating revenues and “Other” income from operations include (i) our WMSBS organization; (ii) those elements of our landfill gas-to-energy operations and third-party subcontract and administration revenues managed by our EES and WM Renewable Energy organizations that are not included in the operations of our reportable segments; (iii) our recycling brokerage services and (iv) certain other expanded service offerings and solutions. In addition, our “Other” segment reflects the results of non-operating entities that provide financial assurance and self-insurance support for our Solid Waste business, net of intercompany activity.

(b)

Corporate operating results reflect certain costs incurred for various support services that are not allocated to our reportable segments. These support services include, among other things, treasury, legal, information technology, tax, insurance, centralized service center processes, other administrative functions and the maintenance of our closed landfills. Income from operations for “Corporate and other” also includes costs associated with our long-term incentive program and any administrative expenses or revisions to our estimated obligations associated with divested operations.

(c)

Intercompany operating revenues reflect each segment’s total intercompany sales, including intercompany sales within a segment and between segments. Transactions within and between segments are generally made on a basis intended to reflect the market value of the service.

(d)

For those items included in the determination of income from operations, the accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in Note 3.

(e)

The income from operations provided by our Solid Waste business is generally indicative of the margins provided by our collection, landfill, transfer and recycling lines of business. From time to time, the operating results of our reportable segments are significantly affected by certain transactions or events that management believes are not indicative or representative of our results. Refer to Note 11 for explanations of certain transactions and events affecting our operating results.

(f)

Includes non-cash items. Capital expenditures are reported in our reportable segments at the time they are recorded within the segments’ property and equipment balances and, therefore, may include amounts that have been accrued but not yet paid.

(g) The reconciliation of total assets reported above to total assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31 is as follows (in millions):


	2018		2017		2016
Total assets, as reported above	$	22,896	$	22,116	$	21,137
Elimination of intercompany investments and advances		(246)		(287)		(278)
Total assets, per Consolidated Balance Sheet	$	22,650	$	21,829	$	20,859

(h) Goodwill is included within each segment’s total assets. For segment reporting purposes, our material recovery facilities are included as a component of their respective Areas and our recycling brokerage services are included as part of our “Other” operations. The following table presents changes in goodwill during the reported periods by segment (in millions):


	Solid Waste
	Tier 1		Tier 2		Tier 3		Other		Total
Balance, December 31, 2016	$	2,203	$	1,196	$	2,661	$	155	$	6,215
Acquired goodwill		12		20		7		—		39
Divested goodwill		—		(1)		—		—		(1)
Impairments		—		—		—		(34)		(34)
Foreign currency translation		6		22		—		—		28
Balance, December 31, 2017	$	2,221	$	1,237	$	2,668	$	121	$	6,247
Acquired goodwill		88		17		142		1		248
Divested goodwill		(6)		—		—		(19)		(25)
Impairments		—		—		—		(6)		(6)
Foreign currency translation		(7)		(27)		—		—		(34)
Balance, December 31, 2018	$	2,296	$	1,227	$	2,810	$	97	$	6,430

Reconciliation of Segment Assets to Consolidated Total

The reconciliation of total assets reported above to total assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31 is as follows (in millions):


	2018		2017		2016
Total assets, as reported above	$	22,896	$	22,116	$	21,137
Elimination of intercompany investments and advances		(246)		(287)		(278)
Total assets, per Consolidated Balance Sheet	$	22,650	$	21,829	$	20,859

Changes in Goodwill by Reportable Segment

The following table presents changes in goodwill during the reported periods by segment (in millions):


	Solid Waste
	Tier 1		Tier 2		Tier 3		Other		Total
Balance, December 31, 2016	$	2,203	$	1,196	$	2,661	$	155	$	6,215
Acquired goodwill		12		20		7		—		39
Divested goodwill		—		(1)		—		—		(1)
Impairments		—		—		—		(34)		(34)
Foreign currency translation		6		22		—		—		28
Balance, December 31, 2017	$	2,221	$	1,237	$	2,668	$	121	$	6,247
Acquired goodwill		88		17		142		1		248
Divested goodwill		(6)		—		—		(19)		(25)
Impairments		—		—		—		(6)		(6)
Foreign currency translation		(7)		(27)		—		—		(34)
Balance, December 31, 2018	$	2,296	$	1,227	$	2,810	$	97	$	6,430

Summary of operating revenues mix

The mix of operating revenues from our major lines of business for the years ended December 31 are as follows (in millions):


	2018		2017		2016
Commercial	$	3,972	$	3,714	$	3,480
Residential		2,529		2,528		2,487
Industrial		2,773		2,583		2,412
Other		450		439		423
Total collection		9,724		9,264		8,802
Landfill		3,560		3,370		3,110
Transfer		1,711		1,591		1,512
Recycling		1,293		1,432		1,221
Other (a)		1,736		1,713		1,601
Intercompany (b)		(3,110)		(2,885)		(2,637)
Total	$	14,914	$	14,485	$	13,609

(a)

The “Other” line of business includes (i) our WMSBS organization; (ii) our landfill gas-to-energy operations; (iii) certain services within our EES organization, including our construction and remediation services and our services associated with the disposal of fly ash and (iv) certain other expanded service offerings and solutions. In addition, our “Other” line of business reflects the results of non-operating entities that provide financial assurance and self-insurance support, net of intercompany activity.

(b)

Intercompany revenues between lines of business are eliminated in the Consolidated Financial Statements included within this report.

Summary of net revenue by geographic area

Net operating revenues relating to operations in the U.S. and Canada for the years ended December 31 are as follows (in millions):


	2018		2017		2016
U.S.	$	14,167	$	13,768	$	12,915
Canada		747		717		694
Total	$	14,914	$	14,485	$	13,609

Summary of Property and Equipment Net of Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization Relating to Operations by Geographic Location

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and amortization, relating to operations in the U.S. and Canada for the years ended December 31 are as follows (in millions):


	2018		2017		2016
U.S.	$	11,044	$	10,591	$	10,040
Canada		898		968		910
Total	$	11,942	$	11,559	$	10,950