Long-Term Debt (Narrative) (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		7 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 02, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 3,632,692	$ 3,632,692	$ 2,157,285
Debt issuance costs			13,506	6,867	$ 125
Cash and cash equivalents		154,382	154,382	$ 10,974	$ 14,353	$ 13,591
Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility		$ 3,200,000	$ 3,200,000
Covenant decription			as of the last day of each fiscal quarter, the ratio of (a) (i) Consolidated Total Funded Debt (as defined in the Credit Agreement) as of such date less (ii) the sum of cash and cash equivalents of the Company and its subsidiaries on a dollar-for-dollar basis as of such date in excess of $50,000 up to a maximum of $200,000 (such that the maximum amount of reduction pursuant to this calculation does not exceed $150,000) to (b) Consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement), measured for the preceding 12 months (the "Leverage Ratio"), to not more than 3.50 to 1.00 (or 3.75 to 1.00 during material acquisition periods, subject to certain limitations). The Credit Agreement also includes a financial covenant requiring the ratio of Consolidated EBIT (as defined in the Credit Agreement) to Consolidated Total Interest Expense (as defined in the Credit Agreement), in each case, measured for the preceding 12 months, (the "Interest Coverage Ratio") to be not less than 2.75 to 1.00.
Covenant compliance			As of December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all applicable covenants in the Credit Agreement.
Maturity date		Jun. 01, 2021
Credit Agreement [Member] | Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility		$ 500,000	$ 500,000
Credit Agreement [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility		1,562,500	1,562,500
Long term debt		310,582	310,582
Credit Agreement [Member] | Term Loan Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility		$ 1,637,500	1,637,500
Credit Agreement [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Required interest coverage ratio		2.75
Credit Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Required leverage ratio during material acquisition period		3.75
Required leverage ratio		3.50
Credit Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Swing Line Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Swing line loans		$ 75,000	$ 75,000
Prior Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Covenant compliance			As of December 31, 2015 and through the date of termination of the 2015 Old Waste Connections Credit Agreement on June 1, 2016, Old Waste Connections was in compliance with all applicable covenants.
Commitment fee				0.15%
Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Letter of Credit [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility outstanding				$ 78,373
Revolving credit term loan maximum borrowing capacity				250,000
Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility				1,200,000
Long term debt				390,000
Credit facility outstanding				390,000
Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Term Loan Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility outstanding				800,000
Aggregate principal amount				800,000
Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Swing Line Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility outstanding				5,000
2016 Master Note Purchase Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum limit of aggregate principal amount of notes outstanding		1,500,000	$ 1,500,000
2016 Master Note Purchase Agreement [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Required interest coverage ratio			2.75
2016 Master Note Purchase Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Required leverage ratio			3.75
Assumed 2008 Note Purchase Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum limit of aggregate principal amount of notes outstanding		1,250,000	$ 1,250,000
Assumed 2008 Note Purchase Agreement [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Required interest coverage ratio			2.75
Assumed 2008 Note Purchase Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Required leverage ratio			3.75
Tax-Exempt Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 95,430	$ 95,430	31,430
Tax-Exempt Bonds [Member] | Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liabilities incurred	$ 64,000
Notes Payable to Sellers and Other Third Parties [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		3.00%	3.00%
Notes Payable to Sellers and Other Third Parties [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate		24.81%	24.81%
Senior Notes [Member] | 2016 Master Note Purchase Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issuance costs		$ 5,319	$ 5,319
Covenant compliance			As of December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all applicable covenants in the 2016 NPA.
Aggregate principal amount		750,000	$ 750,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Assumed 2008 Note Purchase Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Covenant compliance			As of December 31, 2016, the Company was in compliance with all applicable covenants in the Assumed 2008 NPA.
Aggregate principal amount		$ 825,000	$ 825,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes due 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt				$ 100,000
Senior note year due			2016	2016
Interest rate		3.30%	3.30%	3.30%
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 50,000	$ 50,000	$ 50,000
Senior note year due			2018	2018
Interest rate		4.00%	4.00%	4.00%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 50,000	$ 50,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes due 2019 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 175,000	$ 175,000	$ 175,000
Senior note year due			2019	2019
Interest rate		5.25%	5.25%	5.25%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 175,000	$ 175,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 100,000	$ 100,000	$ 100,000
Senior note year due			2021	2021
Interest rate		4.64%	4.64%	4.64%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 100,000	$ 100,000
Senior Notes [Member] | New Senior Notes due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 150,000	$ 150,000
Senior note year due			2021
Maturity date		Jun. 01, 2021
Interest rate		2.39%	2.39%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 150,000	$ 150,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 125,000	$ 125,000	$ 125,000
Senior note year due			2022	2022
Interest rate		3.09%	3.09%	3.09%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 125,000	$ 125,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 200,000	$ 200,000
Senior note year due			2023
Maturity date		Jun. 01, 2023
Interest rate		2.75%	2.75%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 200,000	$ 200,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 375,000	$ 375,000	$ 375,000
Senior note year due			2025	2025
Interest rate		3.41%	3.41%	3.41%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 375,000	$ 375,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Senior Notes due 2026 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 400,000	$ 400,000
Senior note year due			2026
Maturity date		Jun. 01, 2026
Interest rate		3.03%	3.03%
Aggregate principal amount		$ 400,000	$ 400,000
Senior Notes [Member] | Notes Payable to Sellers and Other Third Parties [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		14,180	14,180	$ 10,855
Term Loan Facility [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		1,637,500	1,637,500
Term Loan Facility [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility maximum increase to borrowing capacity		500,000
Maximum amount of increase in commitments under the credit agreement		3,700,000
Term Loan Facility [Member] | Prior Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt				800,000
Other Assets [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Prepaid expense, debt issuance costs		6,543	6,543
Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liabilities incurred				$ 111,324
Debt [Member] | Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liabilities incurred	1,729,274		1,729,274
Debt [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liabilities incurred	1,659,465
Debt [Member] | Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liabilities incurred	1,659,465
Tax-Exempt Bonds [Member] | Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liabilities incurred	64,000	64,000
Other Long-term Liabilities [Member] | Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd. [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Liabilities incurred	$ 5,809
Credit Agreement Covenant [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		50,000	50,000
Credit Agreement Covenant [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		200,000	200,000
Credit Agreement Covenant [Member] | Other Assets [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 150,000	150,000
Base Rate [Member] | Canadian Prime Rate Loans and Swing Line Loans [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin rate for loans		0.00%
Base Rate [Member] | Canadian Prime Rate Loans and Swing Line Loans [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin rate for loans		0.50%
Base Rate [Member] | Swing Line Loans [Member] | Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin rate for loans				0.50%
Interest rate				3.70%
LIBOR [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Term Loan Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long term debt		$ 1,637,500	$ 1,637,500
Margin rate for loans			1.20%
Interest rate applicable		1.97%	1.97%
LIBOR [Member] | Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility outstanding				$ 385,000
Interest rate				1.44%
LIBOR [Member] | Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Term Loan Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin rate for loans				1.20%
Interest rate				1.44%
LIBOR [Member] | Drawing Fees for Bankers' Acceptance and BA Loans and Letter of Credit [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin rate for loans		1.00%
LIBOR [Member] | Drawing Fees for Bankers' Acceptance and BA Loans and Letter of Credit [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin rate for loans		1.50%
LIBOR [Member] | Letter of Credit [Member] | Prior Credit Agreement [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Margin rate for loans				1.20%
Canadian Prime Rate [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility outstanding		$ 7,448	$ 7,448
Margin rate for loans			0.25%
Interest rate applicable		2.95%	2.95%
Canadian Bankers Acceptance Loan [Member] | Credit Agreement [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility outstanding		$ 303,134	$ 303,134
Margin rate for loans			1.20%
Interest rate applicable		2.13%	2.13%