Segment and Related Information - Summary (Detail) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2024 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)
Segment Reporting
Number of reportable segments | segment	5
Net operating revenue royalty (as a percent)	15.00%
Royalty amount	$ 48	$ 41	$ 47
Operating revenues	22,063	20,426	19,698
Operating expenses	13,383	12,606	12,294
Selling, general and administrative	2,264	1,926	1,938
Other net expenses	86	248	63
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	2,267	2,071	2,038
Income from operations	4,063	3,575	3,365
Capital expenditures	3,328	2,838	2,809
Goodwill impairment	0	168
Contingent consideration liability increase (decrease)		(46)
Collection and Disposal [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	19,716	18,865	17,843
Other net expenses	(12)		44
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	1,900	1,812	1,816
Income from operations	5,444	4,821	4,360
Capital expenditures	2,242	1,853	1,762
Collection and Disposal [Member] | East Tier [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	8,703	8,412	8,011
Other net expenses	4	(4)	46
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	1,018	986	977
Income from operations	2,760	2,446	2,178
Capital expenditures	1,119	926	948
Collection and Disposal [Member] | West Tier [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	8,285	7,935	7,614
Other net expenses	(15)	(2)	(8)
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	856	800	814
Income from operations	2,693	2,383	2,182
Capital expenditures	1,071	899	774
Collection and Disposal [Member] | Other Ancillary [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	2,728	2,518	2,218
Other net expenses	(1)	6	6
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	26	26	25
Income from operations	(9)	(8)
Capital expenditures	52	28	40
Recycling Processing and Sales [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	1,603	1,264	1,516
Other net expenses	3	122
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	132	110	92
Income from operations	86	(44)	128
Capital expenditures	524	450	453
Goodwill impairment		168
WM Renewable Energy [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	318	273	312
Other net expenses	7
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	36	33	33
Income from operations	99	79	132
Capital expenditures	514	420	290
WM Healthcare Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	403
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	73
Income from operations	(69)
Capital expenditures	43
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	23	24	27
Other net expenses	88	126	19
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	126	116	97
Income from operations	(1,497)	(1,281)	(1,255)
Capital expenditures	5	115	304
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	26,879	25,039	23,936
Operating expenses	18,178	17,204	16,514
Selling, general and administrative	2,285	1,941	1,956
Operating Segments [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	24,207	23,141	21,812
Operating expenses	16,013	15,674	14,799
Selling, general and administrative	862	834	793
Operating Segments [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member] | Processing fees [Member]
Segment Reporting
Income from operations	100	61	77
Operating Segments [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member] | East Tier [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	10,955	10,533	9,920
Operating expenses	6,801	6,747	6,378
Selling, general and administrative	372	358	341
Operating Segments [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member] | West Tier [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	10,337	9,897	9,479
Operating expenses	6,430	6,352	6,143
Selling, general and administrative	373	364	348
Operating Segments [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member] | Other Ancillary [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	2,915	2,711	2,413
Operating expenses	2,782	2,575	2,278
Selling, general and administrative	117	112	104
Operating Segments [Member] | Recycling Processing and Sales [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	1,890	1,576	1,760
Operating expenses	1,610	1,332	1,481
Selling, general and administrative	59	56	59
Operating Segments [Member] | WM Renewable Energy [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	321	276	315
Operating expenses	166	151	144
Selling, general and administrative	13	13	6
Operating Segments [Member] | WM Healthcare Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	413
Operating expenses	252
Selling, general and administrative	157
Operating Segments [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	48	46	49
Operating expenses	137	47	90
Selling, general and administrative	1,194	1,038	1,098
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	4,816	4,613	4,238
Operating expenses	4,795	4,598	4,220
Selling, general and administrative	(21)	(15)	(18)
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	4,491	4,276	3,969
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member] | East Tier [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	2,252	2,121	1,909
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member] | West Tier [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	2,052	1,962	1,865
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member] | Collection and Disposal [Member] | Other Ancillary [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	187	193	195
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member] | Recycling Processing and Sales [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	287	312	244
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member] | WM Renewable Energy [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	3	3	3
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member] | WM Healthcare Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	10
Intercompany Operating Revenues [Member] | Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting
Operating revenues	$ 25	$ 22	$ 22