Segment and Related Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Segment and Related Information

Segment and Related Information

19.  Segment and Related Information

To enhance transparency regarding our financial performance, highlight the strength and consistency of our core solid waste businesses, and underscore our commitment to sustainability through planned and ongoing investments in our Recycling Processing and Sales, as well as our WM Renewable Energy segment, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2023, our senior management revised its segment reporting to (i) reflect the financial results of our collection, transfer, disposal and resource recovery services businesses independently; (ii) combine the results of all recycling facilities from our East and West Tier segments with our recycling brokerage and sales activities to form a newly created Recycling Processing and Sales reportable segment and (iii) include our WM Renewable Energy business as a reportable segment. Accordingly, our senior management now evaluates, oversees and manages the financial performance of our business through four reportable segments, referred to as (i) East Tier; (ii) West Tier; (iii) Recycling Processing and Sales and (iv) WM Renewable Energy. Our East Tier and West Tier, combined with certain “Other Ancillary” services that are not managed through the Tier segments, but that support our collection and disposal operations, form our Collection and Disposal businesses. We also provide additional services not managed through our four reportable segments, which are presented as Corporate and Other.

From time to time, our operating results are significantly affected by certain transactions or events that management believes are not indicative or representative of our results. Refer to Note 11 for an explanation of certain transactions and events affecting our operating results. Reclassifications have been made to our prior period consolidated financial information to conform to the current year presentation.

Collection and Disposal

Our Collection and Disposal businesses provide integrated environmental services, including collection, transfer, disposal and resource recovery services. We evaluate our Collection and Disposal businesses primarily through two geographic segments, East Tier and West Tier. Our East Tier primarily consists of geographic areas located in the Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes region and substantially all of Canada. Our West Tier primarily includes geographic areas located in the Western U.S., including the upper Midwest region, and British Columbia, Canada. Additionally, we provide certain ancillary services that are not managed through the Tier segments but that support our collection and disposal operations.

Other Ancillary includes specialized services performed for customers that have differentiated needs. These specialized services are targeted at large industrial customers managed through our Sustainability and Environmental Solutions (“SES”) business or geographically dispersed customers managed through our Strategic Business Solutions (“WMSBS”) business. Also included within Other Ancillary are the results of non-operating entities that provide financial assurance and self-insurance support for our business, net of intercompany activity.

Included within our Collection and Disposal businesses are landfills having (i) 21 third-party power generating facilities converting our landfill gas to fuel electricity generators; (ii) 14 third-party RNG facilities processing landfill gas to be sold to natural gas suppliers and (iii) two third-party projects delivering our landfill gas by pipeline to industrial customers as a direct substitute for fossil fuels in industrial processes. In return for providing our landfill gas, we receive royalties from each facility, including the benefit of a 15% royalty from our WM Renewable Energy segment based on net operating revenue generated through the sale of RNG, RINs, electricity and capacity, RECs and related environmental attributes from the 83 landfill beneficial use renewable energy projects owned by WM Renewable Energy on our active landfills, which is eliminated in consolidation.

Recycling Processing and Sales

Our Recycling Processing and Sales segment includes the processing and sales of materials collected from residential, commercial and industrial customers. The materials are delivered to and processed at one of our many recycling facilities. Through our brokerage business, we also manage the marketing of recycling commodities that are processed in our facilities and by third parties by maintaining comprehensive service centers that continuously analyze market prices, logistics, market demands and product quality. Our Recycling Processing and Sales segment excludes the collection of recycled materials from our residential, commercial, and industrial customers which is included within our Collection and Disposal businesses.

WM Renewable Energy

Our WM Renewable Energy segment develops, operates and promotes projects for the beneficial use of landfill gas. Landfill gas is produced naturally as waste decomposes in a landfill. The methane component of the landfill gas is a readily available, renewable energy source that can be gathered and used beneficially as an alternative to fossil fuel. WM Renewable Energy converts landfill gas into several sources of renewable energy which include RNG, electricity and capacity, heat and/or steam. WM Renewable Energy also generates RINs under the RFS program, other credits under a variety of state programs associated with the use of RNG in our compressed natural gas fleet, and RECs associated with the production of electricity. The RINs, RECs, and other credits are sold to counterparties who are obligated under the regulatory programs and have a responsibility to procure RINs, RECs, and other credits proportionate to their fossil fuel production and imports. RINs and RECs prices generally fluctuate in response to regulations enacted by the EPA or other regulatory bodies, as well as changes in supply and demand.

As of December 31, 2023, we had 92 landfill gas beneficial use projects producing commercial quantities of methane gas at owned or operated landfills. For 66 of these projects, the processed gas is used to fuel electricity generators. The electricity is then sold to public utilities, municipal utilities or power cooperatives. For 20 of these projects, the gas is used at the landfill or delivered by pipeline to industrial customers as a direct substitute for fossil fuels in industrial processes. For six of these projects, the landfill gas is processed to pipeline quality RNG and then sold to natural gas suppliers. The revenues from these facilities are primarily generated through the sale of RNG, RINs, electricity and capacity, RECs and related environmental attributes. WM Renewable Energy is charged a 15% royalty on net operating revenue from these facilities residing on our active and closed landfills from our Collection and Disposal, and Corporate and Other businesses, which is eliminated in consolidation. Additionally, WM Renewable Energy operates and maintains 12 third-party landfill beneficial gas use projects in return for service revenue. Our Collection and Disposal and Corporate and Other businesses benefit from these projects as well as 32 additional third-party landfill beneficial gas use projects in the form of royalties.

Corporate and Other

We also provide additional services that are not managed through our operating segments, which are presented in this report as Corporate and Other as they do not meet the criteria to be aggregated with other operating segments and do not meet the quantitative criteria to be separately reported. This includes the activities of our corporate office, including costs associated with our long-term incentive program, expanded service offerings and solutions (such as our investments in businesses and technologies that are designed to offer services and solutions ancillary or supplementary to our current operations) as well as our closed sites. Also, included within our Corporate and Other businesses are closed sites that include (i) five third-party power generating facilities converting our landfill gas to fuel electricity generators; (ii) one third-party project delivering our landfill gas by pipeline to industrial customers as a direct substitute for fossil fuels in industrial processes and (iii) one third-party RNG processing landfill gas to be sold to natural gas suppliers in return for a royalty. Additionally, Corporate and Other benefits from a 15% royalty from our WM Renewable Energy segment based on net operating revenue generated through the sale of RNG, RINs, electricity and capacity, RECs and related environmental attributes from the nine landfill beneficial use renewable energy projects owned by WM Renewable Energy on our closed sites, which is eliminated in consolidation.

Our chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) regularly reviews financial results, operating performance, and capital expenditures of our Collection and Disposal businesses, Corporate and Other businesses, Recycling Processing and Sales segment, and our WM Renewable Energy segment to assess performance and allocate resources. Summarized financial information concerning our reportable segments as of December 31 and for the year then ended is shown in the following table (in millions):

	Gross		Intercompany		Net		Income		Depreciation,		Capital
	Operating		Operating		Operating		from		Depletion and		Expenditures
	Revenues		Revenues(b)		Revenues		Operations(c)		Amortization		(d)
Year Ended December 31:
2023
Collection and Disposal:
East Tier	$	10,575	$	(2,163)	$	8,412	$	2,446	$	986	$	926
West Tier		9,987		(2,052)		7,935		2,383		800		899
Other Ancillary		2,711		(193)		2,518		(8)		26		28
Collection and Disposal		23,273		(4,408)		18,865		4,821		1,812		1,853
Recycling Processing and Sales (a)		1,576		(312)		1,264		(44)		110		450
WM Renewable Energy		276		(3)		273		79		33		420
Corporate and Other		51		(27)		24		(1,281)		116		115
Total	$	25,176	$	(4,750)	$	20,426	$	3,575	$	2,071	$	2,838
2022
Collection and Disposal:
East Tier	$	9,940	$	(1,929)	$	8,011	$	2,178	$	977	$	948
West Tier		9,540		(1,926)		7,614		2,182		814		774
Other Ancillary		2,413		(195)		2,218		—		25		40
Collection and Disposal		21,893		(4,050)		17,843		4,360		1,816		1,762
Recycling Processing and Sales		1,760		(244)		1,516		128		92		453
WM Renewable Energy		315		(3)		312		132		33		290
Corporate and Other		50		(23)		27		(1,255)		97		304
Total	$	24,018	$	(4,320)	$	19,698	$	3,365	$	2,038	$	2,809
2021
Collection and Disposal:
East Tier	$	8,922	$	(1,700)	$	7,222	$	1,955	$	945	$	598
West Tier		8,703		(1,716)		6,987		1,939		821		469
Other Ancillary		2,041		(151)		1,890		(18)		27		50
Collection and Disposal		19,666		(3,567)		16,099		3,876		1,793		1,117
Recycling Processing and Sales		1,760		(232)		1,528		217		93		221
WM Renewable Energy		220		56		276		108		35		116
Corporate and Other		47		(19)		28		(1,236)		78		585
Total	$	21,693	$	(3,762)	$	17,931	$	2,965	$	1,999	$	2,039

(a) Included within income from operations for our Recycling Processing and Sales segment is a $168 million goodwill impairment charge related to a business engaged in accelerating film and plastic wrap recycling capabilities, which was partially offset by the recognition of $46 million of income related to the reversal of a liability for contingent consideration associated with our investment in such business.

(b) Intercompany operating revenues reflect each segment’s total intercompany sales, including intercompany sales within a segment and between segments. Transactions within and between segments are generally made on a basis intended to reflect the market value of the service.

(c) For those items included in the determination of income from operations, the accounting policies of the segments are the same as those described in Note 2.

(d) Includes non-cash items. Capital expenditures and are reported in our reportable segments at the time they are recorded within the segments’ property and equipment balances and, therefore, include timing differences for amounts accrued but not yet paid.  

Total assets by reportable segment as of December 31 are as follows (in millions):

	2023		2022
Collection and Disposal:
East Tier	$	14,328	$	14,194
West Tier		11,322		11,134
Other Ancillary		783		686
Collection and Disposal		26,433		26,014
Recycling Processing and Sales		2,282		1,918
WM Renewable Energy		1,077		693
Corporate and Other		3,392		3,052
Elimination of intercompany investments and advances		(361)		(310)
Total assets, per Consolidated Balance Sheet	$	32,823	$	31,367

The mix of operating revenues from our major lines of business for the year ended December 31 are as follows (in millions):

	Gross		Intercompany		Net
	Operating		Operating		Operating
	Revenues		Revenues		Revenues
Years Ended December 31:
2023
Commercial	$	5,801	$	(692)	$	5,109
Industrial		3,836		(753)		3,083
Residential		3,474		(96)		3,378
Other collection		3,006		(220)		2,786
Total collection		16,117		(1,761)		14,356
Landfill		4,863		(1,611)		3,252
Transfer		2,293		(1,036)		1,257
Total Collection and Disposal		23,273		(4,408)		18,865
Recycling Processing and Sales		1,576		(312)		1,264
WM Renewable Energy		276		(3)		273
Corporate and Other		51		(27)		24
Total	$	25,176	$	(4,750)	$	20,426
2022
Commercial	$	5,450	$	(590)	$	4,860
Industrial		3,681		(656)		3,025
Residential		3,339		(75)		3,264
Other collection		2,683		(217)		2,466
Total collection		15,153		(1,538)		13,615
Landfill		4,597		(1,535)		3,062
Transfer		2,143		(977)		1,166
Total Collection and Disposal		21,893		(4,050)		17,843
Recycling Processing and Sales		1,760		(244)		1,516
WM Renewable Energy		315		(3)		312
Corporate and Other		50		(23)		27
Total	$	24,018	$	(4,320)	$	19,698
2021
Commercial	$	4,759	$	(476)	$	4,283
Industrial		3,210		(524)		2,686
Residential		3,181		(36)		3,145
Other collection		2,309		(179)		2,130
Total collection		13,459		(1,215)		12,244
Landfill		4,184		(1,434)		2,750
Transfer		2,023		(918)		1,105
Total Collection and Disposal		19,666		(3,567)		16,099
Recycling Processing and Sales		1,760		(232)		1,528
WM Renewable Energy		220		56		276
Corporate and Other		47		(19)		28
Total	$	21,693	$	(3,762)	$	17,931

Our financial and operating results may fluctuate for many reasons, including period-to-period changes in the relative contribution of revenue by each line of business, changes in commodity prices and general economic conditions. Our operating revenues and volumes typically experience seasonal increases in the summer months that are reflected in second and third quarter revenues and results of operations.

Service or operational disruptions caused by severe storms, extended periods of inclement weather or climate events can significantly affect the operating results of the geographic areas affected. Extreme weather events may also lead to supply chain disruption and delayed project development, or disruption of our customers’ businesses, reducing the amount of waste generated by their operations.

Conversely, certain destructive weather and climate conditions, such as wildfires in the Western U.S. and hurricanes that most often impact our operations in the Southern and Eastern U.S. during the second half of the year, can increase our revenues in the geographic areas affected as a result of the waste volumes generated by these events. While weather-related and other event-driven special projects can boost revenues through additional work for a limited time, due to significant start-up costs and other factors, such revenue can generate earnings at comparatively lower margins.

Net operating revenues relating to operations for the year ended December 31 are as follows (in millions):

	2023		2022		2021
U.S.	$	19,595	$	18,860	$	17,136
Canada		813		838		795
Other (a)		18		—		—
Total	$	20,426	$	19,698	$	17,931

(a) Primarily related to recently acquired smaller recycling-related operations in the Netherlands.

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation and depletion, relating to operations as of December 31 are as follows (in millions):

	2023		2022
U.S.	$	15,903	$	14,721
Canada		1,060		994
Other		5		4
Total	$	16,968	$	15,719