Segment and Related Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Segment and Related Information

Segment and Related Information

19.  Segment and Related Information

Our senior management evaluates, oversees and manages the financial performance of our business through five reportable segments, referred to as (i) East Tier; (ii) West Tier; (iii) Recycling Processing and Sales; (iv) WM Renewable Energy and (v) WM Healthcare Solutions. Our East and West Tiers along with Other Ancillary services that are not managed through our 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 five 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 Other 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) 20 third-party power generating facilities converting our landfill gas to fuel electricity generators; (ii) 16 third-party RNG facilities processing landfill gas to be sold to natural gas suppliers and (iii) six 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 84 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, 2024, we had 102 landfill gas beneficial use projects producing commercial quantities of methane gas at owned or operated landfills. For 65 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 23 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 11 of these projects, the landfill gas is processed to pipeline quality RNG and then sold to natural gas suppliers. Additionally, three of these projects are on third-party landfills. 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 seven 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 52 additional third-party landfill beneficial gas use projects in the form of royalties.

WM Healthcare Solutions

Our WM Healthcare Solutions segment includes (i) RWCS, which provide compliance programs and collection, processing and disposal of regulated and specialized waste, including medical, pharmaceutical and hazardous waste and (ii) SID services, which provide for the collection of personal and confidential information for secure destruction and recycling of sorted office paper. RWCS are provided to customers in the U.S., Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom (“U.K.”). SID services are provided to customers in the U.S., Canada, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the U.K. 

Our WM Healthcare Solutions customers are primarily in the following industries: enterprise healthcare (i.e., hospitals, health systems and national and corporate healthcare), practices and care providers (i.e., physician offices, surgery centers, veterinary clinics, nursing and long-term care facilities, dental clinics, clinics and urgent care, dialysis centers and home health organizations), and pharmacy labs and research centers. Our WM Healthcare Solutions businesses also provide services to airports and seaports, education institutions, funeral homes and crematories, government and military, banks and professional services, and other businesses. While the WM Healthcare Solutions businesses manage large volumes of waste and other materials, the average volume per customer site is relatively small.

Our WM Healthcare Solutions customers typically enter into a contract for the provision of services on a scheduled basis including weekly, monthly or on an as-needed basis over the contract term. Under the contract terms, the WM Healthcare Solutions businesses receive fees based on a monthly, quarterly or annual rate and/or fees based on contractual rates depending upon measures including the volume, weight or type of waste. Operating revenues are invoiced based on the terms of the underlying contract either on a regular basis, or as services are performed and are generally due within a

short period of time after invoicing based upon normal terms and conditions for our business type and the geography of the services performed.

As of December 31, 2024, our WM Healthcare Solutions businesses include a global fleet of approximately 6,100 routed trucks, tractors, collection vans and small duty vehicles. Our WM Healthcare Solutions segment operates out of approximately 361 leased and owned facilities worldwide with 69 autoclaves or other alternative medical waste treatment facilities, 18 medical waste incinerator facilities, 107 SID processing facilities, and 167 transfer stations. Included within our WM Healthcare Solutions segment are 35 locations that are classified as held for sale as of December 31, 2024.

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 closed sites are (i) six third-party power generating facilities converting our landfill gas to fuel electricity generators; (ii) two third-party projects delivering our landfill gas by pipeline to industrial customers as a direct substitute for fossil fuels in industrial processes and (iii) two third-party RNG facilities 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 15 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”) is the chief executive officer. The CODM regularly reviews financial results, operating performance, and capital expenditures of our five reportable segments. Our CODM uses income from operations for each segment predominantly in the annual budget and forecasting process and considers budget-to-actual variances on a monthly basis when making decisions about the allocation of operating and capital resources to each segment. Our CODM also uses segment income from operations to assess the performance of each segment by comparing the results of each segment with one another. 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):

	Net		Intercompany		Gross				Selling,		Other		Depreciation,		Income		Capital
	Operating		Operating		Operating		Operating		General, and		Net		Depletion and		from		Expenditures
	Revenues		Revenues(b)		Revenues		Expenses		Administrative		Expenses(g)		Amortization		Operations(c)		(d)
Year Ended December 31:
2024
Collection and Disposal:
East Tier	$	8,703	$	2,252	$	10,955	$	6,801	$	372	$	4	$	1,018	$	2,760	$	1,119
West Tier		8,285		2,052		10,337		6,430		373		(15)		856		2,693		1,071
Other Ancillary		2,728		187		2,915		2,782		117		(1)		26		(9)		52
Collection and Disposal(e)(f)		19,716		4,491		24,207		16,013		862		(12)		1,900		5,444		2,242
Recycling Processing and Sales(e)		1,603		287		1,890		1,610		59		3		132		86		524
WM Renewable Energy(f)		318		3		321		166		13		7		36		99		514
WM Healthcare Solutions		403		10		413		252		157		—		73		(69)		43
Corporate and Other(f)		23		25		48		137		1,194		88		126		(1,497)		5
Total	$	22,063	$	4,816	$	26,879	$	18,178	$	2,285	$	86	$	2,267	$	4,063	$	3,328
Intercompany Elimination						(4,816)		(4,795)		(21)		—		—		—
Net						22,063		13,383		2,264		86		2,267		4,063

	Net		Intercompany		Gross				Selling,		Other		Depreciation,		Income		Capital
	Operating		Operating		Operating		Operating		General, and		Net		Depletion and		from		Expenditures
	Revenues		Revenues(b)		Revenues		Expenses		Administrative		Expenses(g)		Amortization		Operations(c)		(d)
Year Ended December 31:
2023
Collection and Disposal:
East Tier	$	8,412	$	2,121	$	10,533	$	6,747	$	358	$	(4)	$	986	$	2,446	$	926
West Tier		7,935		1,962		9,897		6,352		364		(2)		800		2,383		899
Other Ancillary		2,518		193		2,711		2,575		112		6		26		(8)		28
Collection and Disposal(e)(f)		18,865		4,276		23,141		15,674		834		—		1,812		4,821		1,853
Recycling Processing and Sales(a)(e)		1,264		312		1,576		1,332		56		122		110		(44)		450
WM Renewable Energy(f)		273		3		276		151		13		—		33		79		420
Corporate and Other(f)		24		22		46		47		1,038		126		116		(1,281)		115
Total	$	20,426	$	4,613	$	25,039	$	17,204	$	1,941	$	248	$	2,071	$	3,575	$	2,838
Intercompany Elimination						(4,613)		(4,598)		(15)		—		—		—
Net						20,426		12,606		1,926		248		2,071		3,575

	Net		Intercompany		Gross				Selling,		Other		Depreciation,		Income		Capital
	Operating		Operating		Operating		Operating		General, and		Net		Depletion and		from		Expenditures
	Revenues		Revenues(b)		Revenues		Expenses		Administrative		Expenses(g)		Amortization		Operations(c)		(d)
Year Ended December 31:
2022
Collection and Disposal:
East Tier	$	8,011	$	1,909	$	9,920	$	6,378	$	341	$	46	$	977	$	2,178	$	948
West Tier		7,614		1,865		9,479		6,143		348		(8)		814		2,182		774
Other Ancillary		2,218		195		2,413		2,278		104		6		25		—		40
Collection and Disposal(e)(f)		17,843		3,969		21,812		14,799		793		44		1,816		4,360		1,762
Recycling Processing and Sales(e)		1,516		244		1,760		1,481		59		—		92		128		453
WM Renewable Energy(f)		312		3		315		144		6		—		33		132		290
Corporate and Other(f)		27		22		49		90		1,098		19		97		(1,255)		304
Total	$	19,698	$	4,238	$	23,936	$	16,514	$	1,956	$	63	$	2,038	$	3,365	$	2,809
Intercompany Elimination						(4,238)		(4,220)		(18)		—		—		—
Net						19,698		12,294		1,938		63		2,038		3,365

(a) For the year ended December 31, 2023 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 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.  

(e) Certain fees related to the processing of recycled material we collect are included within our Collection and Disposal businesses. The amounts in income from operations for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 are $100 million, $61 million and $77 million, respectively.

(f) WM Renewable Energy pays a 15% intercompany royalty to our Collection and Disposal and Corporate and Other businesses for landfill gas. The total amount of royalties in gross and intercompany operating revenues for the East Tier, West Tier, and Corporate and Other and in operating expenses for WM Renewable Energy for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 are $48 million, $41 million and $47 million, respectively. Prior to the fourth

quarter of 2024, amounts related to intercompany royalty payments were adjusted through income from operations. Prior periods have been recast to conform to current year presentation.

(g) Other net expenses include restructuring expenses, (gain) loss from divestitures, and asset impairments and unusual items, net.

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

	2024		2023
Collection and Disposal:
East Tier	$	15,328	$	14,328
West Tier		11,786		11,322
Other Ancillary		779		783
Collection and Disposal		27,893		26,433
Recycling Processing and Sales		2,686		2,282
WM Renewable Energy		1,544		1,077
WM Healthcare Solutions		9,406		—
Corporate and Other		3,785		3,392
Elimination of intercompany investments and advances		(747)		(361)
Total assets, per Consolidated Balance Sheet	$	44,567	$	32,823

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

	Net		Intercompany		Gross
	Operating		Operating		Operating
	Revenues		Revenues(a)(b)		Revenues(b)
Years Ended December 31:
2024
Commercial	$	5,371	$	798	$	6,169
Industrial		3,089		794		3,883
Residential		3,466		89		3,555
Other collection		2,964		230		3,194
Total collection		14,890		1,911		16,801
Landfill		3,445		1,513		4,958
Transfer		1,381		1,067		2,448
Total Collection and Disposal		19,716		4,491		24,207
Recycling Processing and Sales		1,603		287		1,890
WM Renewable Energy		318		3		321
WM Healthcare Solutions		403		10		413
Corporate and Other		23		25		48
Total	$	22,063	$	4,816	$	26,879
2023
Commercial	$	5,109	$	692	$	5,801
Industrial		3,083		753		3,836
Residential		3,378		96		3,474
Other collection		2,786		220		3,006
Total collection		14,356		1,761		16,117
Landfill		3,252		1,479		4,731
Transfer		1,257		1,036		2,293
Total Collection and Disposal		18,865		4,276		23,141
Recycling Processing and Sales		1,264		312		1,576
WM Renewable Energy		273		3		276
Corporate and Other		24		22		46
Total	$	20,426	$	4,613	$	25,039
2022
Commercial	$	4,860	$	590	$	5,450
Industrial		3,025		656		3,681
Residential		3,264		75		3,339
Other collection		2,466		217		2,683
Total collection		13,615		1,538		15,153
Landfill		3,062		1,454		4,516
Transfer		1,166		977		2,143
Total Collection and Disposal		17,843		3,969		21,812
Recycling Processing and Sales		1,516		244		1,760
WM Renewable Energy		312		3		315
Corporate and Other		27		22		49
Total	$	19,698	$	4,238	$	23,936

(a) 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.

(b) In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company adjusted gross and intercompany operating revenues to reflect the 15% royalty paid by WM Renewable Energy to Collection and Disposal and Corporate and Other businesses for the purchase of landfill gas. There was no change to net operating revenues. Prior periods were recast to conform to current year presentation.

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):

	2024		2023		2022
U.S.	$	21,107	$	19,595	$	18,860
Canada		852		813		838
Western Europe and other (a) (b)		104		18		—
Total	$	22,063	$	20,426	$	19,698

(a) 2024 primarily relates to the impact of operations from the U.K., Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands as a result of the Stericycle acquisition.

(b) 2023 primarily relates to an 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):

	2024		2023
U.S.	$	17,995	$	15,903
Canada		1,222		1,060
Western Europe and other (a) (b)		123		5
Total	$	19,340	$	16,968

(a) 2024 primarily relates to the impact of operations from the U.K., Ireland, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands as a result of the Stericycle acquisition.

(b) 2023 primarily relates to an acquired smaller recycling-related operations in the Netherlands.