Basis of Presentation and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2011
Basis of Presentation and Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS	1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS 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, 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 accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Republic and 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. Our investments in variable interest entities are not material to our consolidated financial statements. We have prepared these unaudited consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Certain information related to our organization, significant accounting policies and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP has been condensed or omitted. In the opinion of management, these financial statements include all adjustments that, unless otherwise disclosed, are of a normal recurring nature and necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that can be expected for a full year. You should read these interim financial statements in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. For comparative purposes, certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Management’s Estimates and Assumptions In preparing our financial statements, we include numerous estimates and assumptions that affect the accounting, recognition and disclosure of assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity, revenue and expenses. We must make these estimates and assumptions because certain information that we use is dependent on future events, cannot be calculated with a high degree of precision from data available or simply cannot be readily calculated based on generally accepted methodologies. In some cases, these estimates are particularly difficult to determine and we must exercise significant judgment. In preparing our financial statements, the most difficult, subjective and complex estimates and assumptions that deal with the greatest amount of uncertainty relate to our accounting for our long-lived assets, landfill development costs, final capping, closure and post-closure costs and the recoverability of goodwill; our valuation allowances for accounts receivable and deferred tax assets; our liabilities for potential litigation, claims and assessments; and our liabilities for environmental remediation, employee benefit plans, stock-based compensation, deferred taxes, uncertain tax positions and self-insurance. Each of these items is discussed in more detail in our description of our significant accounting policies in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. Our actual results may differ significantly from our estimates. New Accounting Pronouncements *Goodwill Impairment Test* In December 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued authoritative guidance which modifies the requirements of Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. We adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2011, and it did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations. *Other Comprehensive Income* In June 2011, the FASB issued a new accounting standard on the presentation of comprehensive income. The new standard requires the presentation of comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The new standard also requires presentation of adjustments for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income in the statement where the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income are presented. We will adopt this new presentation standard as of the beginning of 2012. The adoption of this standard will only impact the presentation of our financial statements and will not impact our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

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, 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 accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Republic and 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. Our investments in variable interest entities are not material to our consolidated financial statements.

We have prepared these unaudited consolidated financial statements pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. Certain information related to our organization, significant accounting policies and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP has been condensed or omitted. In the opinion of management, these financial statements include all adjustments that, unless otherwise disclosed, are of a normal recurring nature and necessary for a fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that can be expected for a full year. You should read these interim financial statements in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto appearing in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.

For comparative purposes, certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.

Management’s Estimates and Assumptions

In preparing our financial statements, we include numerous estimates and assumptions that affect the accounting, recognition and disclosure of assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity, revenue and expenses. We must make these estimates and assumptions because certain information that we use is dependent on future events, cannot be calculated with a high degree of precision from data available or simply cannot be readily calculated based on generally accepted methodologies. In some cases, these estimates are particularly difficult to determine and we must exercise significant judgment. In preparing our financial statements, the most difficult, subjective and complex estimates and assumptions that deal with the greatest amount of uncertainty relate to our accounting for our long-lived assets, landfill development costs, final capping, closure and post-closure costs and the recoverability of goodwill; our valuation allowances for accounts receivable and deferred tax assets; our liabilities for potential litigation, claims and assessments; and our liabilities for environmental remediation, employee benefit plans, stock-based compensation, deferred taxes, uncertain tax positions and self-insurance. Each of these items is discussed in more detail in our description of our significant accounting policies in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. Our actual results may differ significantly from our estimates.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Goodwill Impairment Test

In December 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued authoritative guidance which modifies the requirements of Step 1 of the goodwill impairment test for reporting units with zero or negative carrying amounts. We adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2011, and it did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Other Comprehensive Income

In June 2011, the FASB issued a new accounting standard on the presentation of comprehensive income. The new standard requires the presentation of comprehensive income, the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The new standard also requires presentation of adjustments for items that are reclassified from other comprehensive income to net income in the statement where the components of net income and the components of other comprehensive income are presented. We will adopt this new presentation standard as of the beginning of 2012. The adoption of this standard will only impact the presentation of our financial statements and will not impact our consolidated financial position or results of operations.