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Debt
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Debt  
Debt

6.    Debt

The following table summarizes the major components of debt as of each balance sheet date (in millions) and provides the maturities and interest rate ranges of each major category as of December 31:

    

2022

    

2021

Commercial paper program (weighted average interest rate of 4.9% as of December 31, 2022 and 0.4% as of December 31, 2021)

$

1,730

$

1,778

Senior notes, maturing through 2050, interest rates ranging from 0.75% to 7.75% (weighted average interest rate of 3.2% as of December 31, 2022 and 3.1% as of December 31, 2021)

 

8,626

 

8,126

Term Loan maturing May 2024, interest rate of 5.1% as of December 31, 2022

1,000

Canadian senior notes, C$500 million maturing September 2026, interest rate of 2.6%

369

395

Tax-exempt bonds, maturing through 2048, fixed and variable interest rates ranging from 0.4% to 4.4% (weighted average interest rate of 2.7% as of December 31, 2022 and 1.4% as of December 31, 2021)

 

2,648

 

2,619

Financing leases and other, maturing through 2071, weighted average interest rate of 4.7% as of December 31, 2022 and 4.5% as of December 31, 2021) (a)

 

699

 

567

Debt issuance costs, discounts and other

 

(88)

 

(80)

 

14,984

 

13,405

Current portion of long-term debt

 

414

 

708

Long-term debt, less current portion

$

14,570

$

12,697

(a)Excluding our landfill financing leases, the maturities of our financing leases and other debt obligations extend through 2059.

Debt Classification

As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $3.1 billion of debt maturing within the next 12 months, including (i) $1.7 billion of short-term borrowings under our commercial paper program (net of related discount on issuance); (ii) $725 million of tax-exempt bonds with term interest rate periods that expire within the next 12 months, which is prior to their scheduled maturities; (iii) $500 million of 2.4% senior notes that mature in May 2023 and (iv) $192 million of other debt with scheduled maturities within the next 12 months, including $65 million of tax-exempt bonds. As of December 31, 2022, we have classified $2.7 billion of debt maturing in the next 12 months as long-term because we have the intent and ability to refinance these borrowings on a long-term basis as supported by the forecasted available capacity under our $3.5 billion long-term U.S. and Canadian revolving credit facility (“$3.5 billion revolving credit facility”), as discussed below. The remaining $414 million of debt maturing in the next 12 months is classified as current obligations.

Access to and Utilization of Credit Facilities, Commercial Paper Program and Term Loan

$3.5 Billion Revolving Credit Facility — In May 2022, we amended and restated our $3.5 billion U.S. and Canadian revolving credit facility extending the term through May 2027. The agreement includes a $1.0 billion accordion feature that may be used to increase total capacity in future periods, and we have the option to request up to two one-year extensions. Waste Management of Canada Corporation and WM Quebec Inc., each an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of WMI, are borrowers under the $3.5 billion revolving credit facility, and the agreement permits borrowing in Canadian dollars up to the U.S. dollar equivalent of $375 million, with such borrowings to be repaid in Canadian dollars. WM Holdings, a wholly-owned subsidiary of WMI, guarantees all the obligations under the $3.5 billion revolving credit facility.

The $3.5 billion revolving credit facility provides us with credit capacity to be used for cash borrowings, to support letters of credit or to support our commercial paper program. The interest rates we pay on outstanding U.S. or Canadian loans are based on a secured overnight financing rate administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (“SOFR”) or the Canadian Dollar Offered Rate (“CDOR”), respectively, plus a spread depending on WMI’s senior public debt rating assigned by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings. The spread above SOFR or CDOR can range from 0.585% to 1.025% per annum, plus a credit adjustment spread of 0.10% per annum on SOFR-based rates (the “SOFR Credit Adjustment Spread”) to account for the transition from the use of LIBOR to SOFR in such rate calculations. We also pay certain other fees set forth in the $3.5 billion revolving credit facility agreement, including a facility fee based on the aggregate commitment, regardless of usage. As of December 31, 2022, we had no outstanding borrowings under this facility. We had $166 million of letters of credit issued and $1.7 billion of outstanding borrowings (net of related discount on issuance) under our commercial paper program, both supported by the facility, leaving unused and available credit capacity of $1.6 billion as of December 31, 2022.

Commercial Paper Program — We have a commercial paper program that enables us to borrow funds for up to 397 days at competitive interest rates. The rates we pay for outstanding borrowings are based on the term of the notes. The commercial paper program is fully supported by our $3.5 billion revolving credit facility. As of December 31, 2022, we had $1.7 billion of outstanding borrowings (net of related discount on issuance) under our commercial paper program.

$1.0 Billion, Two-Year, Term Credit Agreement — In May 2022, we entered into a $1.0 billion, two-year, U.S. term credit agreement (“Term Loan”) maturing May 2024 to be used for general corporate purposes. The interest rate we pay on our outstanding balance is generally based on SOFR, plus a spread depending on WMI’s senior public debt rating assigned by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings. The spread above SOFR can range from 0.50% to 0.90% per annum, plus the SOFR Credit Adjustment Spread. As of December 31, 2022, we had $1.0 billion of outstanding borrowings under our Term Loan. WM Holdings also guarantees all of the obligations under the Term Loan.

Other Letter of Credit Lines — As of December 31, 2022, we had utilized $800 million of other uncommitted letter of credit lines with terms extending through April 2024.

Debt Borrowings and Repayments

Commercial Paper Program — During the year ended December 31, 2022 we made cash repayments of $6.7 billion, which were partially offset by $6.6 billion of cash borrowings (net of related discount on issuance).

Term Loan — In May 2022, we borrowed $1.0 billion under our Term Loan for general corporate purposes.

Senior Notes — In May 2022, WMI issued $1.0 billion of 4.15% senior notes due April 15, 2032, the net proceeds of which were $992 million. We used the net proceeds to redeem our $500 million of 2.9% senior notes due September 2022 in advance of their scheduled maturity, to repay a portion of outstanding borrowings under our commercial paper program and for general corporate purposes.

Tax-Exempt Bonds — We issued $100 million of tax-exempt bonds in 2022. The proceeds from the issuance of these bonds were deposited directly into a restricted trust fund and may only be used for the specific purpose for which the money was raised, which is generally to finance expenditures for solid waste disposal facility, material recovery facility and renewable natural gas facility construction and development. In 2022, we also repaid $71 million of our tax-exempt bonds with available cash at their scheduled maturities.

Financing Leases and Other — The increase in our financing leases and other debt obligations in 2022 is primarily related to a note payable associated with our federal low-income housing investment discussed in Note 8, which increased our debt obligations by $183 million. The increase in our debt obligations was partially offset by $93 million of cash repayments of debt at maturity.

Scheduled Debt Payments

Principal payments of our debt for the next five years and thereafter, based on scheduled maturities are as follows: $2,423 million in 2023, $1,290 million in 2024, $1,324 million in 2025, $673 million in 2026, $1,163 million in 2027 and $8,275 million thereafter. Our recorded debt and financing lease obligations include non-cash adjustments associated with debt issuance costs, discounts and fair value adjustments attributable to terminated interest rate derivatives, which have been excluded from these amounts because they will not result in cash payments. As discussed above, we have the intent and ability to refinance certain 2023 scheduled maturities on a long-term basis, including our $500 million of 2.4% senior notes that mature in May 2023. See Note 7 below for further discussion of our financing lease arrangements.

Secured Debt

Our debt balances are generally unsecured, except for financing lease obligations and the notes payable associated with our investments in low-income housing properties. See Notes 8 and 18 for additional information related to these investments.

Debt Covenants

The terms of certain of our financing arrangements require that we comply with financial and other covenants. Our most restrictive financial covenant is the one contained in both our $3.5 billion revolving credit facility and Term Loan, which sets forth a maximum total debt to consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization ratio (the “Leverage Ratio”). This covenant requires that the Leverage Ratio for the preceding four fiscal quarters will not be more than 3.75 to 1, provided that if an acquisition permitted under the $3.5 billion revolving credit facility involving aggregate consideration in excess of $200 million occurs during the fiscal quarter, the Company shall have the right to increase the Leverage Ratio to 4.25 to 1 during such fiscal quarter and for the following three fiscal quarters (the “Elevated Leverage Ratio Period”). There shall be no more than two Elevated Leverage Ratio Periods during the term of the $3.5 billion revolving credit facility, and the Leverage Ratio must return to 3.75 to 1 for at least one fiscal quarter between Elevated Leverage Ratio Periods. The calculation of all components used in the Leverage Ratio covenant are as defined in the $3.5 billion revolving credit facility. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we were in compliance with our Leverage Ratio covenant.

Our $3.5 billion revolving credit facility, Term Loan, senior notes and other financing arrangements also contain certain restrictions on the ability of the Company’s subsidiaries to incur additional indebtedness as well as restrictions on the ability of the Company and its subsidiaries to, among other things, incur liens, engage in sale-leaseback transactions and engage in mergers and consolidations. We monitor our compliance with these restrictions, but do not believe that they significantly impact our ability to enter into investing or financing arrangements typical for our business. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, we were in compliance with all covenants and restrictions under our financing arrangements, in addition to our Leverage Ratio covenant, that may have a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements.