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Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended						12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Loss on early extinguishment of debt							$ (555)
Positive (Negative) impact on diluted earnings per common share	$ (0.02)	$ 0.01	$ (0.03)	$ (0.49)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.03)
Net pre-tax charges			$ 14	$ 364		$ 16
(Income) expense from divestitures							(7)	$ (515)	$ (8)
Impairment charges							89	345	472
Pre-tax restructuring charges	$ 8				$ 67		15	82	18
Income tax expense (benefit)							308	413	364
Goodwill impairment charges								10	509
Senior Notes [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Loss on early extinguishment of debt			$ (550)
Positive (Negative) impact on diluted earnings per common share			$ (0.74)
Early extinguishment of high-coupon senior notes			$ 2,000
Restructuring Charges [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Positive (Negative) impact on diluted earnings per common share				$ (0.02)
Pre-tax restructuring charges				$ 13
Recycling Operations [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Impairment charges							18
Goodwill impairment charges				10				10
Investment in Waste Diversion Technology Company [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Impairment charges				25
Impairment charge relating to decline in value of investment accounted under cost method	$ 4			20			5	22	71
Eastern Canada Area [Member] \| Investment in Waste Diversion Technology Company [Member] \| Legal Reserve [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Positive (Negative) impact on diluted earnings per common share					$ (0.05)
Net pre-tax charges					$ 20
Landfill [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Impairment charges									262
Landfill [Member] \| Western Canada Area [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Impairment charges			5
Landfill [Member] \| Eastern Canada Area [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
(Income) expense from divestitures								(18)
Impairment charges									262
Recycling Assets [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Impairment charges									31
Oil and Gas Well [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Positive (Negative) impact on diluted earnings per common share	$ (0.09)
(Income) expense from divestitures		$ (6)
Impairment of oil and gas property to its estimated fair value	$ 70			$ 270			66	272	15
Waste Processing Facility [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Impairment charges						$ 12
Puerto Rico Operations [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Positive (Negative) impact on diluted earnings per common share						$ (0.12)
(Income) expense from divestitures						$ 25		25
Income tax expense (benefit)						0
Tax charges incurred prior to divestment						$ 32
Withdrawal from Multiemployer Pension Plans [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Positive (Negative) impact on diluted earnings per common share		$ (0.07)
Charge to "Operating" expenses		$ 55					$ 51	4	5
Wheelabrator [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Positive (Negative) impact on diluted earnings per common share				$ 1.12
(Income) expense from divestitures			$ 7	$ (519)				(519)
Pre-tax restructuring charges								$ 1	1
Goodwill impairment charges									$ 483
Wheelabrator [Member] \| Recycling Assets [Member]
Quarterly Financial Information [Line Items]
Net pre-tax charges		$ 6