Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION Republic Services, Inc. (a Delaware corporation) and its subsidiaries (also referred to collectively as Republic, we, us, our, or the Company in this report) is the second largest provider of non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer station, recycling and disposal services in the United States, as measured by revenue. We manage and evaluate our operations through four geographic regions – Eastern, Midwestern, Southern, and Western, which we have identified as our reportable segments. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Republic, its wholly owned and majority owned subsidiaries in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). We account for investments in entities in which we do not have a controlling financial interest under either the equity method or cost method of accounting, as appropriate. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. For comparative purposes, certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. All amounts are in millions, except per share amounts and unless otherwise noted.

Basis of Presentation

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Republic Services, Inc. (a Delaware corporation) and its subsidiaries (also referred to collectively as Republic, we, us, our, or the Company in this report) is the second largest provider of non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer station, recycling and disposal services in the United States, as measured by revenue. We manage and evaluate our operations through four geographic regions – Eastern, Midwestern, Southern, and Western, which we have identified as our reportable segments.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Republic, its wholly owned and majority owned subsidiaries in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). We account for investments in entities in which we do not have a controlling financial interest under either the equity method or cost method of accounting, as appropriate. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

For comparative purposes, certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. All amounts are in millions, except per share amounts and unless otherwise noted.