Acquisitions - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2025 USD ($) entity	Mar. 31, 2024 USD ($) entity	Mar. 31, 2025 USD ($) entity
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition-related costs	$ 11,970	$ 9,847
Goodwill expected to be deductible for tax purposes	55,780	234,743	$ 55,780
Trade receivables acquired in business combination gross contractual amount	17,088	52,335	17,088
Trade receivables acquired in business combination expected to be uncollectible amount	168	483	$ 168
Number of individually immaterial acquisitions \| entity			6
Payment of contingent consideration recorded at acquisition date	$ 20,137	$ 11,295
Solid waste
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of immaterial businesses acquired in period \| entity	3	9
E&P
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of immaterial businesses acquired in period \| entity	1	1

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.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 20
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (a)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479907/805-20-50-5

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of goodwill arising from a business combination that is expected to be deductible for tax purposes.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (d)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479581/805-30-50-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillExpectedTaxDeductibleAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For receivables acquired in a business combination, excluding certain loans and debt securities acquired in a transfer (as defined), this element represents the best estimate at the acquisition date of the contractual cash flows not expected to be collected, by major class of receivable, such as loans, direct finance leases (as defined), and any other class of receivables.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479907/805-20-50-1

+ Details

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

- Definition

For receivables acquired in a business combination, excluding certain loans and debt securities acquired in a transfer (as defined), this element represents the gross contractual amounts receivable, by major class of receivable, such as loans, direct finance leases (as defined), and any other class of receivables.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(2)
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479907/805-20-50-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquiredReceivablesGrossContractualAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 23
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147479405/805-10-25-23

+ Details

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

- Definition

The number of businesses acquired by the entity during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of cash outflow, not made soon after acquisition date of business combination, to settle contingent consideration liability up to amount recognized at acquisition date, including, but not limited to, measurement period adjustment and less amount paid soon after acquisition date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (f)
-SubTopic 10
-Topic 230
-Publisher FASB
-URI https://asc.fasb.org/1943274/2147482740/230-10-45-15

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentForContingentConsiderationLiabilityFinancingActivities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the number of acquisitions for which the initial accounting is incomplete.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	wcn_BusinessCombinationProvisionalInformationInitialAccountingIncompleteNumberOfAcquisitions
Namespace Prefix:	wcn_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=wcn_SolidWasteMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=wcn_ExplorationAndProductionWasteTreatmentRecoveryAndDisposalMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: