Commitments and Contingencies - Additional information (Detail)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) site Landfill Property	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) site Landfill Property	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of landfills adjacent to or near homeowners' properties with agreements guaranteeing market value | Landfill	22		22
Approximate number of homeowners' properties adjacent to or near certain of our landfills with agreements guaranteeing market value | Property	875		875
Environmental remediation reasonably possible additional losses high estimate	$ 143,000,000		$ 143,000,000
Environmental remediation liabilities	$ 253,000,000		$ 253,000,000
Number of sites listed on the EPA's NPL for which we have been notified we are a PRP | site	75		75
Number of owned sites listed on the EPA's NPL for which we have been notified we are a PRP | site	15		15
Number of non-owned sites listed on the EPA's NPL for which we have been notified we are a PRP | site	60		60
Approximate percentage of workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements	20.00%		20.00%
Withdrawal from Multiemployer Pension Plans [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Charge to "Operating" expenses		$ 55,000,000
2014 Audit [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Expected time of completion of IRS audits			9 months
2015 Audit [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Expected time of completion of IRS audits			12 months
2016 Audit [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Expected time of completion of IRS audits			21 months
Wheelabrator [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Maximum future payments regarding guarantees of unconsolidated entities financial obligations	$ 106,000,000		$ 106,000,000	$ 106,000,000
Financial and performance obligations, net liability	12,000,000		$ 12,000,000	$ 13,000,000
Term of financial and performance obligation			2038
San Jacinto Waste Pits [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Increase in cost estimate associated with environmental remediation liability	42,000,000		$ 42,000,000
Maximum [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Dollar threshold for environmental matters requiring disclosure under item 103 of the SEC's Regulation S-K	100,000		100,000
Domestic Line of Credit [Member]
Commitments And Contingencies [Line Items]
Credit Facility, aggregate capacity	$ 2,250,000,000		$ 2,250,000,000