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Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	12 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Billions	Dec. 31, 2018	Jan. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	REPUBLIC SERVICES, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001060391
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2018
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2018
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding (in shares)		321,615,522
Entity Public Float			$ 22.2
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes

Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 70.5	$ 83.3
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts and other of $34.3 and $38.9, respectively	1,102.7	1,105.9
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	391.2	247.6
Total current assets	1,564.4	1,436.8
Restricted cash and marketable securities	108.1	141.1
Property and equipment, net	8,020.1	7,777.4
Goodwill	11,400.1	11,315.4
Other intangible assets, net	106.5	141.1
Other assets	417.8	335.2
Total assets	21,617.0	21,147.0
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	761.5	598.1
Notes payable and current maturities of long-term debt	690.7	706.7
Deferred revenue	338.7	312.1
Accrued landfill and environmental costs, current portion	130.6	135.2
Accrued interest	68.5	74.5
Other accrued liabilities	728.6	808.2
Total current liabilities	2,718.6	2,634.8
Long-term debt, net of current maturities	7,646.8	7,480.7
Accrued landfill and environmental costs, net of current portion	1,701.6	1,686.5
Deferred income taxes and other long-term tax liabilities, net	1,028.3	796.4
Insurance reserves, net of current portion	270.8	275.4
Other long-term liabilities	321.4	312.1
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity:
Preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share; 50 shares authorized; none issued	0.0	0.0
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share; 750 shares authorized; 351.9 and 350.1 issued including shares held in treasury, respectively	3.5	3.5
Additional paid-in capital	4,924.9	4,839.6
Retained earnings	4,750.5	4,152.5
Treasury stock, at cost; 29.4 and 18.4 shares, respectively	(1,782.6)	(1,059.4)
Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax	30.8	22.6
Total Republic Services, Inc. stockholders’ equity	7,927.1	7,958.8
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiary	2.4	2.3
Total stockholders’ equity	7,929.5	7,961.1
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 21,617.0	$ 21,147.0

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 34.3	$ 38.9
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares)	50,000,000	50,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued (in shares)	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	750,000,000	750,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	351,900,000	350,100,000
Treasury stock, shares (in shares)	29,400,000	18,400,000

Consolidated Statement of Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 10,040,900	$ 10,041,500	$ 9,387,700
Expenses:
Cost of operations	6,150,000	6,214,600	5,764,000
Depreciation, amortization and depletion	1,033,400	1,036,300	991,100
Accretion	80,700	79,800	79,100
Selling, general and administrative	1,059,500	1,057,400	969,800
Withdrawal costs - multiemployer pension funds	0	1,200	5,600
Gain on business divestitures and impairments, net	(44,900)	(33,900)	(100)
Restructuring charges	26,400	17,600	40,700
Operating income	1,735,800	1,668,500	1,537,500
Interest expense	(383,800)	(361,900)	(371,300)
Loss from unconsolidated equity method investment	(35,800)	(27,400)	(6,100)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(300)	(800)	(196,200)
Interest income	1,600	1,000	900
Other income, net	3,400	2,700	1,100
Income before income taxes	1,320,900	1,282,100	965,900
Provision for income taxes	283,300	3,100	352,700
Net income	1,037,600	1,279,000	613,200
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiary	(700)	(600)	(600)
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$ 1,036,898	$ 1,278,374	$ 612,588
Basic earnings per share attributable to Republic Services, Inc. stockholders:
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 3.17	$ 3.79	$ 1.79
Weighted average common shares outstanding (in shares)	326,897	337,051	343,024
Diluted earnings per share attributable to Republic Services, Inc. stockholders:
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 3.16	$ 3.77	$ 1.78
Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (in shares)	328,383	338,981	344,390
Cash dividends per common share ( in dollars per share)	$ 1.44	$ 1.33	$ 1.24

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 1,037.6	$ 1,279.0	$ 613.2
Hedging activity:
Settlements	26.7	(3.7)	(20.6)
Realized (gain) losses reclassified into earnings	(3.8)	5.3	26.5
Unrealized (loss) gains	(8.2)	3.1	32.4
Pension activity:
Change in funded status of pension plan obligations	(6.5)	3.7	6.4
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	8.2	8.4	44.7
Comprehensive income	1,045.8	1,287.4	657.9
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(0.7)	(0.6)	(0.6)
Comprehensive income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$ 1,045.1	$ 1,286.8	$ 657.3

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Treasury Stock	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax	Noncontrolling Interests In Consolidated Subsidiary
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2015		346.0			0.4
Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 7,776.6	$ 3.5	$ 4,677.7	$ 3,138.3	$ (14.9)	$ (30.5)	$ 2.5
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	613.2			612.6			0.6
Change in the value of derivative instruments, net of tax	38.3					38.3
Employee benefit plan liability adjustments, net of tax	6.4					6.4
Cash dividends declared	(423.8)			(423.8)
Issuances of common stock (in shares)		2.2			0.0
Issuances of common stock	60.5		60.5		$ 0.0
Stock-based compensation	23.2		26.3	(3.1)
Purchase of common stock for treasury (in shares)					(8.4)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(400.0)				$ (400.0)
Distributions paid	(0.7)						(0.7)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2016		348.2			8.8
Balance at Dec. 31, 2016	7,693.7	$ 3.5	4,764.5	3,324.0	$ (414.9)	14.2	2.4
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	1,279.0			1,278.4			0.6
Change in the value of derivative instruments, net of tax	4.7					4.7
Employee benefit plan liability adjustments, net of tax	3.7					3.7
Cash dividends declared	(446.3)			(446.3)
Issuances of common stock (in shares)		1.9			0.0
Issuances of common stock	36.9		36.9		$ 0.0
Stock-based compensation	34.6		38.2	(3.6)
Purchase of common stock for treasury (in shares)					(9.6)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(644.5)				$ (644.5)
Distributions paid	(0.7)						(0.7)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2017		350.1			18.4
Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	7,961.1	$ 3.5	4,839.6	4,152.5	$ (1,059.4)	22.6	2.3
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Adoption of accounting standard, net of tax \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09	33.4			33.4
Net income	1,037.6			1,036.9			0.7
Change in the value of derivative instruments, net of tax	14.7					14.7
Employee benefit plan liability adjustments, net of tax	(6.5)					(6.5)
Cash dividends declared	(468.4)			(468.4)
Issuances of common stock (in shares)		1.8			(0.3)
Issuances of common stock	23.2		43.3		$ (20.1)
Stock-based compensation	38.1		42.0	(3.9)
Purchase of common stock for treasury (in shares)					(10.7)
Purchase of common stock for treasury	(703.1)				$ (703.1)
Distributions paid	(0.6)						(0.6)
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2018		351.9			29.4
Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	$ 7,929.5	$ 3.5	$ 4,924.9	$ 4,750.5	$ (1,782.6)	$ 30.8	$ 2.4

Consolidated Statement of Stockholders' Equity (Parenthetical) - Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Change in value of derivative instrument, tax	$ 5.4	$ 3.1	$ 22.4
Employee benefit plan liability adjustments, tax	$ 2.3	$ 2.4	$ 4.1

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Cash provided by operating activities:
Net income	$ 1,037.6	$ 1,279.0	$ 613.2
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, amortization, depletion and accretion	1,114.1	1,116.1	1,070.2
Non-cash interest expense	41.2	43.6	53.4
Restructuring related charges	26.4	17.6	40.7
Stock-based compensation	39.0	34.6	23.2
Deferred tax provision (benefit)	152.1	(379.0)	47.2
Provision for doubtful accounts, net of adjustments	34.8	30.6	20.4
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0.3	0.8	196.2
(Gain) loss on disposition of assets and asset impairments, net	(58.9)	(29.5)	0.3
Withdrawal costs - multiemployer pension funds	0.0	1.2	5.6
Environmental adjustments	5.0	0.4	2.0
Loss from unconsolidated equity method investment	35.8	27.4	6.1
Other non-cash items	0.6	(1.2)	(25.5)
Change in assets and liabilities, net of effects from business acquisitions and divestitures:
Accounts receivable	(29.6)	(118.9)	(52.3)
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(152.5)	(36.4)	(1.1)
Accounts payable	85.9	21.7	(9.8)
Restructuring expenditures	(24.7)	(18.6)	(32.5)
Capping, closure and post-closure expenditures	(71.9)	(62.7)	(77.4)
Remediation expenditures	(48.8)	(54.8)	(66.8)
Other liabilities	25.3	38.8	34.7
Proceeds from retirement of certain hedging relationships	31.1	0.0	0.0
Cash provided by operating activities	2,242.8	1,910.7	1,847.8
Cash used in investing activities:
Purchases of property and equipment	(1,071.8)	(989.8)	(927.8)
Proceeds from sales of property and equipment	31.6	6.1	9.8
Cash used in acquisitions and investments, net of cash and restricted cash acquired	(277.3)	(351.8)	(62.4)
Cash received from business divestitures	89.2	4.7	15.0
Purchases of restricted marketable securities	(38.2)	(18.5)	(29.9)
Sales of restricted marketable securities	37.7	18.1	32.1
Other	(0.3)	1.0	(1.3)
Cash used in investing activities	(1,229.1)	(1,330.2)	(964.5)
Cash used in financing activities:
Proceeds from notes payable and long-term debt, net of fees	4,347.6	4,791.1	3,911.4
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes, net of discount and fees	781.8	641.5	489.4
Payments of notes payable and long-term debt and senior notes	(5,000.7)	(4,922.8)	(4,307.1)
Premiums paid on extinguishment of debt	0.0	0.0	(176.9)
Issuances of common stock, net	23.2	36.9	49.7
Purchases of common stock for treasury	(736.9)	(610.7)	(403.8)
Cash dividends paid	(461.8)	(440.5)	(418.9)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiary	(0.6)	(0.7)	(0.7)
Other	(12.1)	(9.2)	0.1
Cash used in financing activities	(1,059.5)	(514.4)	(856.8)
(Decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents	(45.8)	66.1	26.5
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents at beginning of year	179.1	113.0	86.5
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents at end of year	$ 133.3	$ 179.1	$ 113.0

Basis of Presentation	12 Months Ended
Basis of Presentation	Dec. 31, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	BASIS OF PRESENTATION Republic Services, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries (also referred to collectively as Republic, the Company, we, us, or our), is the second largest provider of non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer, recycling, disposal and energy services in the United States, as measured by revenue. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Republic Services, Inc. and its wholly owned and majority owned subsidiaries in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP). We account for investments in entities in which we do not have a controlling financial interest under either the equity method or cost method of accounting, as appropriate. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. For comparative purposes, certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. All dollar amounts in tabular presentations are in millions, except per share amounts and unless otherwise noted.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Management’s Estimates and Assumptions

In preparing our financial statements, we make numerous estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in these financial statements and accompanying notes. We must make these estimates and assumptions because certain information we use is dependent on future events, cannot be calculated with a high degree of precision from data available or simply cannot be readily calculated based on generally accepted methodologies. In preparing our financial statements, the more critical and subjective areas that deal with the greatest amount of uncertainty relate to our accounting for our long-lived assets, including recoverability, landfill development costs, and final capping, closure and post-closure costs; our valuation allowances for accounts receivable and deferred tax assets; our liabilities for potential litigation, claims and assessments; our liabilities for environmental remediation, multiemployer pension plans, employee benefit plans, deferred taxes, uncertain tax positions, and insurance reserves; and our estimates of the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in any acquisition. Each of these items is discussed in more detail elsewhere in these Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Our actual results may differ significantly from our estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider liquid investments with a maturity at the date of acquisition of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

We may have net book credit balances in our primary disbursement accounts at the end of a reporting period. We classify such credit balances as accounts payable in our consolidated balance sheets as checks presented for payment to these accounts are not payable by our banks under overdraft arrangements, and, therefore, do not represent short-term borrowings. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, there were net book credit balances of $64.8 million and $53.2 million, respectively, in our primary disbursement accounts that were classified as accounts payable on our consolidated balance sheets.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable and derivative instruments. We place our cash and cash equivalents with high quality financial institutions. Such balances may be in excess of FDIC insured limits. To manage the related credit exposure, we continually monitor the credit worthiness of the financial institutions where we have deposits. Concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable are limited due to the wide variety of customers and markets in which we provide services, as well as the dispersion of our operations across many geographic areas. We provide services to small-container, large-container, municipal and residential, and energy services customers in the United States and Puerto Rico. We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers, but generally do not require collateral to support customer receivables. We establish an allowance for doubtful accounts based on various factors including the credit risk of specific customers, age of receivables outstanding, historical trends, economic conditions and other information.

Accounts Receivable, Net

Accounts receivable represent receivables from customers for collection, transfer, recycling, disposal, energy services and other services. Our receivables are recorded when billed or when the related revenue is earned and represent claims against third parties that will be settled in cash. The carrying value of our receivables, net of the allowance for doubtful accounts and customer credits, represents their estimated net realizable value. Provisions for doubtful accounts are evaluated on a monthly basis and are recorded based on our historical collection experience, the age of the receivables, specific customer information and economic conditions. We also review outstanding balances on an account-specific basis. In general, reserves are provided for accounts receivable in excess of 90 days outstanding. Past due receivable balances are written-off when our collection efforts have been unsuccessful in collecting amounts due.

The following table reflects the activity in our allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	38.9		$	44.0		$	46.7
Additions charged to expense	34.8			30.6			20.4
Accounts written-off	(39.4		)	(35.7		)	(23.1		)
Balance at end of year	$	34.3		$	38.9		$	44.0

Restricted Cash and Marketable Securities

As of December 31, 2018, we had $108.1 million of restricted cash and marketable securities of which $78.6 million supports our insurance programs for workers' compensation, commercial general liability, and commercial auto liability. Additionally, we obtain funds through the issuance of tax-exempt bonds for the purpose of financing qualifying expenditures at our landfills, transfer stations, collection and recycling processing centers. The funds are deposited directly into trust accounts by the bonding authorities at the time of issuance. As the use of these funds is contractually restricted, and we do not have the ability to use these funds for general operating purposes, they are classified as restricted cash and marketable securities in our consolidated balance sheets.

In the normal course of business, we may be required to provide financial assurance to governmental agencies and a variety of other entities in connection with municipal residential collection contracts, closure or post-closure of landfills, environmental remediation, environmental permits, and business licenses and permits as a financial guarantee of our performance. At several of our landfills, we satisfy financial assurance requirements by depositing cash into restricted trust funds or escrow accounts.

Property and Equipment

We record property and equipment at cost. Expenditures for major additions and improvements to facilities are capitalized, while maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. When property is retired or otherwise disposed, the related cost and accumulated depreciation are removed from the accounts and any resulting gain or loss is reflected in the consolidated statement of income.

We revise the estimated useful lives of property and equipment acquired through business acquisitions to conform with our policies. We depreciate assets over their estimated useful lives using the straight-line method. We assume no salvage value for our depreciable property and equipment. The estimated useful lives of our property and equipment are as follows:




Buildings and improvements	7 - 40 years
Vehicles	5 - 12 years
Landfill equipment	5 - 7 years
Other equipment	3 - 20 years
Furniture and fixtures	10 years

Landfill development costs also are included in property and equipment. Landfill development costs include direct costs incurred to obtain landfill permits and direct costs incurred to acquire, construct and develop sites, as well as final capping, closure and post-closure assets. These costs are amortized or depleted based on consumed airspace. All indirect landfill development costs are expensed as incurred. For additional information, see Note 8, Landfill and Environmental Costs.

Capitalized Interest

We capitalize interest on landfill cell construction and other construction or development projects if they meet the following criteria:


•	Total construction costs are $50,000 or greater;


•	The construction phase is one month or longer; and


•	The assets have a useful life of one year or longer.

Interest is capitalized on qualified assets while they undergo activities to ready them for their intended use. Capitalization of interest ceases once an asset is placed into service or if construction activity is suspended for more than a brief period of time. Our interest capitalization rate is based on our weighted average cost of indebtedness. Interest capitalized was $6.8 million, $6.5 million and $6.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Our financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and marketable securities, fuel, commodity and interest rate hedges, long-term debt, and assets in our defined benefit pension plan. Accounting standards include disclosure requirements around fair values used for certain financial instruments and establish a fair value hierarchy. The hierarchy prioritizes valuation inputs into three levels based on the extent to which inputs used in measuring fair value are observable in the market. Each fair value measurement is reported in one of three levels:


•	Level 1 – inputs are based upon unadjusted quoted prices for identical instruments traded in active markets.


•	Level 2 – inputs are based upon quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the market or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.


•	Level 3 – inputs are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimates of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The fair values are therefore determined using model-based techniques that include option pricing models, discounted cash flow models, and similar techniques.

See Note 11, Employee Benefit Plans, and Note 17, Financial Instruments, for fair value disclosures related to our defined benefit pension plan investments and financial instruments, respectively.

Investments Other Than Derivatives

Investments other than derivatives primarily include money market funds, common stock, mutual funds, real estate investment trusts, U.S. government and agency securities, municipal and corporate bonds, and foreign government bonds. In general, and where applicable, we use quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities to determine fair value. This pricing methodology applies to our Level 1 investments, such as money market funds, common stock and certain mutual funds. If quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities are not available to determine fair value, then we use quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities or inputs other than the quoted prices that are observable either directly or indirectly. These investments are included in Level 2 and consist primarily of corporate bonds, foreign government bonds, real estate investment trusts and certain agency securities.

Derivative Financial Instruments

We use derivative financial instruments to manage our risk associated with changing interest rates and changing prices for commodities we frequently purchase or sell by creating offsetting market exposures. We use interest rate swap agreements designated as fair value hedges to manage risk associated with fluctuations in interest rates. We have entered into multiple agreements designated as cash flow hedges to mitigate some of our exposure to changes in diesel fuel prices and prices of certain recycling commodities and to lock interest rates in anticipation of future debt issuance.

All derivatives are measured at fair value and recognized in the balance sheet as assets or liabilities, as appropriate. For derivative instruments designated as fair value hedges, to the extent they are effective, they are included as an adjustment to long-term debt in our consolidated balance sheets. Changes in fair value of the ineffective portions are recognized currently in earnings. For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, changes in fair value of the effective portions of derivative instruments are reported in stockholders’ equity as components of other comprehensive income until the forecasted transaction occurs or is not probable of occurring. When the forecasted transaction occurs or is not probable of occurring, the realized net gain or loss is then recognized in the consolidated statement of income. Changes in fair value of the ineffective portions are recognized currently in earnings. See below for discussion of the changes resulting from our prospective adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board's (FASB) ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities (ASU 2017-12), on January 1, 2019.

The fair values of our derivative instruments are determined using standard valuation models with assumptions about prices and other relevant information based on those observed in the underlying markets (Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy). The estimated fair values of derivatives used to hedge risks fluctuate over time and should be viewed in relation to the underlying hedged transactions.

Landfill and Environmental Costs

Life Cycle Accounting

We use life-cycle accounting and the units-of-consumption method to recognize certain landfill costs over the life of the site. In life cycle accounting, all current and future capitalized costs to acquire and construct a site are calculated, and charged to expense based on the consumption of cubic yards of available airspace.

Costs and airspace estimates are developed at least annually by engineers. We use these estimates to adjust the rates we use to deplete capitalized costs. Changes in these estimates primarily relate to changes in available airspace, inflation and applicable regulations. Changes in available airspace include, but are not limited to, changes due to the addition of airspace lying in probable expansion areas, airspace consumed and changes in engineering estimates.

Probable Expansion Airspace

We classify landfill disposal capacity as either permitted (having received the final permit from the applicable regulatory agency) or as probable expansion airspace. Before airspace included in an expansion area is determined to be probable expansion airspace and, therefore, is included in our calculation of total available disposal capacity, all of the following criteria must be met:


•	We own the land associated with the expansion airspace or control it pursuant to an option agreement;


•	We are committed to supporting the expansion project financially and with appropriate resources;


•	There are no identified fatal flaws or impediments associated with the project, including political impediments;


•	Progress is being made on the project;


•	The expansion is attainable within a reasonable time frame; and


•	We believe it is likely the expansion permit will be received.

Upon meeting our expansion criteria, the rates used at each applicable landfill to expense costs to acquire, construct, cap, close and maintain a site during the post-closure period are adjusted to include both the probable expansion airspace and the additional costs to be capitalized or accrued associated with that expansion airspace.

We have identified three steps that landfills generally follow to obtain expansion permits. These steps are as follows:


•	Obtaining approval from local authorities;


•	Submitting a permit application to state authorities; and


•	Obtaining permit approval from state authorities.

We continually monitor our progress toward obtaining permits for each of our sites with probable airspace. If we determine that a landfill expansion area no longer meets our criteria, the probable expansion airspace is removed from the landfill’s total available capacity and the rates used at the landfill to deplete costs to acquire, construct, cap, close and maintain a site during the post-closure period are adjusted accordingly. In addition, any amounts capitalized for the probable expansion airspace are charged to expense in the period in which it is determined that the criteria are no longer met.

Capitalized Landfill Costs

Capitalized landfill costs include expenditures for land, permitting, cell construction and environmental structures. Capitalized permitting and cell construction costs are limited to direct costs relating to these activities, including legal, engineering and construction costs associated with excavation, natural and synthetic liners, construction of leachate collection systems,

installation of methane gas collection and monitoring systems, installation of groundwater monitoring wells and other costs associated with the development of the site. Interest is capitalized on landfill construction projects while the assets are undergoing activities to ready them for their intended use. Capitalized landfill costs also include final capping, closure and post-closure assets and are depleted as airspace is consumed using the units-of-consumption method.

Costs related to acquiring land, excluding the estimated residual value of unpermitted, non-buffer land, and costs related to permitting and cell construction are depleted as airspace is consumed using the units-of-consumption method.

Capitalized landfill costs also may include an allocation of purchase price paid for landfills. For landfills purchased as part of a group of assets, the purchase price assigned to the landfill is determined based on the estimated fair value of the landfill. If the landfill meets our expansion criteria, the purchase price is further allocated between permitted airspace and expansion airspace based on the respective ratios to total available airspace. Landfill purchase price is amortized using the units-of-consumption method over the total available airspace, including probable expansion airspace, where appropriate.

Final Capping, Closure and Post-Closure Costs

Final capping

We have future obligations for final capping, closure and post-closure costs with respect to the landfills we own or operate as set forth in applicable landfill permits. The permit requirements are based on the Subtitle C and Subtitle D regulations of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as implemented and applied on a state-by-state basis. We define final capping as activities required to permanently cover a portion of a landfill that has been completely filled with waste. Final capping typically includes installing flexible membrane and geosynthetic clay liners, drainage and compact soil layers, and topsoil, and is constructed over an area of the landfill where total airspace capacity has been consumed and waste disposal operations have ceased. These final capping activities occur in phases as needed throughout the operating life of a landfill as specific areas are filled to capacity and the final elevation for that specific area is reached in accordance with the provisions of the operating permit. We consider final capping events to be discrete activities that are recognized as asset retirement obligations separately from other closure and post-closure obligations. As a result, we use a separate rate per ton for recognizing the principal amount of the liability and related asset associated with each capping event. We amortize the asset recorded pursuant to this approach as waste volume related to the capacity covered by the capping event is placed into the landfill based on the consumption of cubic yards of available airspace.

Closure and post-closure

Closure and post-closure activities occur after the entire landfill ceases to accept waste and closes. These activities involve methane gas control, leachate management and groundwater monitoring, surface water monitoring and control, and other operational and maintenance activities that occur after the site ceases to accept waste. Obligations associated with monitoring and controlling methane gas migration and emissions are set forth in applicable landfill permits and these requirements are based on the provisions of the Clean Air Act. The post-closure period generally runs for 30 years after final site closure for municipal solid waste landfills and a shorter period for construction and demolition landfills and inert landfills. We recognize asset retirement obligations and the related amortization expense for closure and post-closure (excluding obligations for final capping) using the units-of-consumption method over the total remaining capacity of the landfill, including probable expansion airspace.

Estimated future expenditures

Estimates of future expenditures for final capping, closure and post-closure are developed at least annually by engineers. Management reviews these estimates and our operating and accounting personnel use them to adjust the rates used to capitalize and amortize these costs. These estimates involve projections of costs that will be incurred during the remaining life of the landfill for final capping activities, after the landfill ceases operations and during the legally required post-closure monitoring period. As of December 31, 2018, we had 129 closed landfills.

Fair value measurements

In general, we engage third parties to perform most of our final capping, closure and post-closure activities. Accordingly, the fair value of these activities is based on quoted and actual prices paid for similar work. We also perform some of our final capping, closure and post-closure activities using internal resources. Where we expect internal resources to be used to fulfill an asset retirement obligation, we add a profit margin to the estimated cost of such services to better reflect their fair value. If we perform these services internally, the added profit margin is recognized as a component of operating income in the period the obligation is settled.

Our estimates of costs to discharge asset retirement obligations for landfills are developed in today’s dollars. These costs are inflated each year to reflect a normal escalation of prices up to the year they are expected to be paid. We used a 1.7% inflation rate for both of the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 and a 1.8% inflation rate for the year ended December 31, 2016,

which is based on the ten-year historical moving average increase of the U.S. Consumer Price Index, and is the rate used by most waste industry participants. These estimated costs are then discounted to their present values using a credit-adjusted, risk-free interest rate.

Changes in assets retirement obligations

A liability for an asset retirement obligation is recognized in the period in which it is incurred and is initially measured at fair value. The offset to the liability is capitalized as part of the carrying amount of the related long-lived asset. Changes in the liabilities due to revisions to estimated future cash flows are recognized by increasing or decreasing the liabilities with the offsets adjusting the carrying amounts of the related long-lived assets, and may also require immediate adjustments to amortization expense in the consolidated statement of income. Upward revisions in the amount of undiscounted estimated cash flows used to record a liability are discounted using the credit-adjusted, risk-free interest rate in effect at the time of the change. Downward revisions in the amount of undiscounted estimated cash flows used to record a liability are discounted using the credit-adjusted, risk-free rate that existed when the original liability was recognized.

Changes in asset retirement obligations due to the passage of time are measured by recognizing accretion expense in a manner that results in a constant effective interest rate being applied to the average carrying amount of the liability. The effective interest rate used to calculate accretion expense is our credit-adjusted, risk-free interest rate in effect at the time the liabilities were recorded.

We review our calculations with respect to landfill asset retirement obligations at least annually. If there is a significant change in the facts and circumstances related to a landfill during the year, we will review our calculations for the landfill as soon as practical after the change has occurred.

Landfill operating expenses

Costs associated with daily maintenance activities and environmental compliance during the operating life of the landfill are expensed as incurred. These costs include, among other things, leachate treatment and disposal, methane gas and groundwater monitoring and systems maintenance, interim cap maintenance, costs associated with the application of daily cover materials, and the legal and administrative costs of ongoing environmental compliance.

Environmental Liabilities

We are subject to an array of laws and regulations relating to the protection of the environment, and we remediate sites in the ordinary course of our business. Under current laws and regulations, we may be responsible for environmental remediation at sites that we either own or operate, including sites that we have acquired, or sites where we have (or a company that we have acquired has) delivered waste. Our environmental remediation liabilities primarily include costs associated with remediating groundwater, surface water and soil contamination, as well as controlling and containing methane gas migration and the related legal costs. To estimate our ultimate liability at these sites, we evaluate several factors, including the nature and extent of contamination at each identified site, the required remediation methods, timing of expenditures, the apportionment of responsibility among the potentially responsible parties and the financial viability of those parties. We accrue for costs associated with environmental remediation obligations when such costs are probable and reasonably estimable in accordance with accounting for loss contingencies. We periodically review the status of all environmental matters and update our estimates of the likelihood of and future expenditures for remediation as necessary. Changes in the liabilities resulting from these reviews are recognized currently in earnings in the period in which the adjustment is known. Adjustments to estimates are reasonably possible in the near term and may result in changes to recorded amounts. With the exception of those obligations assumed in the acquisition of Allied, environmental obligations are recorded on an undiscounted basis. Adjustments arising from changes in amounts and timing of estimated costs and settlements may result in increases or decreases in these obligations and are calculated on a discounted basis as they were initially estimated on a discounted basis. These adjustments are charged to operating income when they are known. We perform a comprehensive review of our environmental obligations annually and also review changes in facts and circumstances associated with these obligations at least quarterly. We have not reduced the liabilities we have recorded for recoveries from other potentially responsible parties or insurance companies.

Business Combinations

We acquire businesses in the waste industry, including non-hazardous waste collection, transfer, recycling, disposal and energy services operations, as part of our growth strategy. Businesses are included in the consolidated financial statements from the date of acquisition.

We recognize, separately from goodwill, the identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their estimated acquisition-date fair values. We measure and recognize goodwill as of the acquisition date as the excess of: (1) the aggregate of the fair value of consideration transferred, the fair value of any noncontrolling interest in the acquiree (if any) and the acquisition date fair value of our previously held equity interest in the acquiree (if any), over (2) the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. If information about facts and circumstances existing as of the acquisition date is incomplete by the end of the reporting period in which a business combination occurs, we report provisional amounts for the items for which the accounting is incomplete. The measurement or allocation period ends once we receive the information we are seeking; however, this period will generally not exceed one year from the acquisition date. Any material adjustments recognized during the measurement period will be reflected retrospectively in the consolidated financial statements of the subsequent period. We recognize third-party transaction related costs as expense currently in the period in which they are incurred.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually as of October 1st, or when an indicator of impairment exists. We compare the fair value of our reporting units with the carrying value, including goodwill. We recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds a reporting unit’s fair value, not to exceed the total amount of recorded goodwill, as applicable.

During 2018, we managed and evaluated our operations through two field groups: Group 1 and Group 2. In determining fair value, we primarily use discounted future cash flows and operating results based on a comparative multiple of earnings or revenues.

Significant estimates used in our fair value calculation using discounted future cash flows include: (1) estimates of future revenue and expense growth by reporting unit, which we estimate to be approximately 3% annually; (2) future estimated effective tax rates, which we estimate to be 27%; (3) future estimated capital expenditures and future required investments in working capital; (4) estimated discount rates, which we estimate to range between 7% and 8%; and (5) the future terminal value of the reporting unit, which is based on its ability to exist into perpetuity. Significant estimates used in the fair value calculation utilizing market value multiples include: (a) estimated future growth potential of the reporting unit; (b) estimated multiples of revenue or earnings a willing buyer is likely to pay; and (c) the estimated control premium a willing buyer is likely to pay.

In addition, we evaluate a reporting unit for impairment if events or circumstances change between annual tests, indicating a possible impairment. Examples of such events or circumstances include: (1) a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate; (2) an adverse action or assessment by a regulator; (3) a more likely than not expectation that a reporting unit or a significant portion thereof will be sold; (4) continued or sustained losses at a reporting unit; (5) a significant decline in our market capitalization as compared to our book value; or (6) we conclude that we may not recover a significant asset group within the reporting unit.

We assign assets and liabilities from our corporate operating segment to our two reporting units to the extent that such assets or liabilities relate to the cash flows of the reporting unit and would be included in determining the reporting unit’s fair value.

In preparing our annual test for impairment as of October 1, 2018, we determined that our indicated fair value of total invested capital exceeded our total market capitalization. We believe one of the primary reconciling differences between the indicated fair value of total invested capital and our total market capitalization is due to a control premium. We believe the control premium represents the value a market participant could extract as savings or synergies by obtaining control.

As of October 1, 2018, we determined that the indicated fair value of our reporting units exceeded their carrying value by approximately 110% on average and, therefore, we noted no indicators of impairment at our reporting units.

Our operating segments, which also represent our reporting units, are comprised of several vertically integrated businesses. When an individual business within an integrated operating segment is divested, goodwill is allocated to that business based on its fair value relative to the fair value of its operating segment.

Other intangible assets include values assigned to customer relationships, franchise agreements, other municipal agreements, non-compete agreements and trade names and are amortized generally on a straight-line basis over periods ranging from 1 to 18 years.

Asset Impairments

We continually consider whether events or changes in circumstances have occurred that may warrant revision of the estimated useful lives of our long-lived assets (other than goodwill) or whether the remaining balances of those assets should be evaluated for possible impairment. Long-lived assets include, for example, capitalized landfill costs, other property and equipment, and identifiable intangible assets.

Events or changes in circumstances that may indicate that an asset may be impaired include the following:


•	A significant decrease in the market price of an asset or asset group;


•	A significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which an asset or asset group is being used or in its physical condition;


•	A significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate that could affect the value of an asset or asset group, including an adverse action or assessment by a regulator;


•	An accumulation of costs significantly in excess of the amount originally expected for the acquisition or construction of a long-lived asset;


•	A current period operating or cash flow loss combined with a history of operating or cash flow losses or a projection or forecast that demonstrates continuing losses associated with the use of a long-lived asset or asset group;


•	A current expectation that, more likely than not, a long-lived asset or asset group will be sold or otherwise disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life; or


•	An impairment of goodwill at a reporting unit.

There are certain indicators listed above that require significant judgment and understanding of the waste industry when applied to landfill development or expansion. For example, a regulator may initially deny a landfill expansion permit application though the expansion permit is ultimately granted. In addition, management may periodically divert waste from one landfill to another to conserve remaining permitted landfill airspace. Therefore, certain events could occur in the ordinary course of business and not necessarily be considered indicators of impairment due to the unique nature of the waste industry.

If indicators of impairment exist, the asset or asset group is reviewed to determine whether its recoverability is impaired. We assess the recoverability of the asset or asset group by comparing its carrying value to an estimate (or estimates) of its undiscounted future cash flows over its remaining life. If the estimated undiscounted cash flows are not sufficient to recover the carrying value of the asset or asset group, we measure an impairment loss as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its fair value. The loss is recorded in the consolidated statement of income in the period in which such impairment is identified. Estimating future cash flows requires significant judgment, and our projections of future cash flows and remaining useful lives may vary materially from actual results.

Insurance Reserves

Our insurance programs for workers' compensation, commercial general and auto liability, environmental and remediation liability, and employee-related health care benefits are subject to high deductible insurance policies. Accruals for insurance reserves are based on claims filed and estimates of claims incurred but not reported. We consider our past claims experience, including both frequency and settlement amount of claims, in determining these estimates. It is possible that recorded reserves may not be adequate to cover the future payment of claims. Adjustments, if any, to estimates recorded resulting from ultimate claim payments will be reflected in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which such adjustments are known. In general, our insurance reserves are recorded on an undiscounted basis; however, the insurance liabilities we acquired in the Allied acquisition have been recorded at estimated fair value, and therefore have been discounted to present value based on our estimate of the timing of the related cash flows.

Costs Associated with Exit Activities

We record costs associated with exit activities such as employee termination benefits that represent a one-time benefit when management approves and commits to a plan of termination, and communicates the termination arrangement to the employees, or over the future service period, if any. Other costs associated with exit activities may include contract termination costs, including costs related to leased facilities to be abandoned or subleased, and facility and employee relocation costs.

Contingent Liabilities

We are subject to various legal proceedings, claims and regulatory matters, the outcomes of which are subject to significant uncertainty. In general, we determine whether to disclose or accrue for loss contingencies based on an assessment of whether the risk of loss is remote, reasonably possible or probable, and whether it can be reasonably estimated. We assess our potential liability relating to litigation and regulatory matters based on information available to us. Management develops its assessment based on an analysis of possible outcomes under various strategies. We accrue for loss contingencies when such amounts are probable and reasonably estimable. If a contingent liability is only reasonably possible, we disclose the potential range of the loss, if estimable. Contingent liabilities recorded in purchase accounting are recorded at their fair values. These fair values may be different from the values we would have otherwise recorded, had the contingent liability not been assumed as part of an acquisition of a business.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

Accumulated other comprehensive income is a component of stockholders’ equity and includes the effective portion of the net changes in fair value of our cash flow hedges that consist of prices for diesel fuel and recycled commodities, net of tax, settlement and amortization of our interest rate locks and certain adjustments to liabilities associated with our employee defined benefit pension plan liabilities, net of tax.

Revenue Recognition

We generally provide services under contracts with municipalities or individual customers. Municipal and small-container contracts are generally long-term and often have renewal options. Advance billings are recorded as deferred revenue, and revenue is recognized over the period services are provided.

We recognize revenue when control is transferred to the customer, generally at the time we provide a service. Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration we expect to receive in exchange for providing a service. We make certain payments to our customers, including payments to our municipal customers or commodity rebates to customers in our recycling business, which reduce the amount of revenue we recognize.

Income Taxes

We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, we record deferred income taxes to reflect the effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases using enacted tax rates that we expect to be in effect when the taxes are actually paid or recovered. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

We record net deferred tax assets to the extent we believe these assets will more likely than not be realized. In making these determinations, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, tax planning strategies, projected future taxable income and recent financial operating results. The weight given to the positive and negative evidence is commensurate with the extent such evidence can be objectively verified. If we determine that we would be able to realize a deferred income tax asset in the future in excess of its net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the valuation allowance, which would reduce the provision for income taxes.

We record uncertain tax positions in accordance with ASC 740. A tax benefit from an uncertain tax position may be recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits. Income tax positions must meet a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold at the effective date to be recognized.

We recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in the provision for income taxes in the accompanying consolidated statement of income. Accrued interest and penalties are included in other accrued liabilities, deferred income taxes and other long-term tax liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.

We use the flow-through method to account for investment tax credits earned on eligible development expenditures. Under this method, the investment tax credits are recognized as a reduction to income tax expense in the year they are earned.

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

We currently have one qualified defined benefit pension plan, the BFI Retirement Plan (the Plan). The Plan covers certain current and former employees of Allied in the United States, including some employees subject to collective bargaining agreements. The Plan’s benefit formula is based on a percentage of compensation as defined in the Plan document. However, the benefits of all current Plan participants are frozen.

Our pension contributions are made in accordance with funding standards established by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code, as amended by the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The Plan’s assets have been invested as determined by our Employee Benefits Committee. The Employee Benefits Committee reviews and adjusts the Plan’s asset allocation as deemed necessary.

The benefit obligation and associated income or expense related to the Plan are determined using annually established assumptions for discount rates, expected rates of return, mortality rates and average rates for compensation increases. We determine the discount rate based on a model that matches the timing and amount of expected benefit payments to maturities of high quality bonds priced as of the pension plan measurement date. When that timing does not correspond to a published high-quality bond rate, our model uses an expected yield curve to determine an appropriate current discount rate. The yields on the bonds are used to derive a discount rate for the liability. In developing our expected rate of return assumption, we evaluate long-term expected and historical actual returns on the Plan assets, giving consideration to the asset mix and the anticipated duration of our Plan obligations. The average rate of compensation increase reflects our expectations of average pay increases over the period benefits are earned. Our assumptions are reviewed annually and adjusted as deemed necessary.

Equity-Based Compensation Plans

We recognize equity-based compensation expense on the estimated grant-date fair value of stock options and restricted stock units issued as compensation to employees over the requisite service periods for each separately vesting portion of the award, or to the employee’s retirement-eligible date, if earlier.

The fair value of each option on the date of grant is estimated using a lattice binomial option-pricing model based on certain valuation assumptions. Expected volatility is based on the weighted average of the most recent one year volatility and a historical rolling average volatility of our stock over the expected life of the option. The risk-free interest rates are based on the published U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of the grant for instruments with a similar life. The dividend yield reflects our dividend yield at the date of grant. The expected life represents the period that the stock options are expected to be outstanding, taking into consideration the contractual terms of the options and our employees’ historical exercise and post-vesting employment termination behavior, weighted to reflect the job level demographic profile of the employees receiving the option grants. The estimated forfeiture rate used to record compensation expense is based on historical forfeitures and is adjusted periodically based on actual results.

Compensation expense associated with our performance shares that vest based on future performance targets is measured using the fair value of our common stock at the grant date for the stock-settled, equity classified awards, and the fair value of our common stock at the end of each reporting period for the cash-settled, liability classified awards. Compensation expense is recognized ratably over the performance period based on our estimated achievement of the established performance criteria. Compensation expense is only recognized for those awards that we expect to vest, which we estimate based on an assessment of the probability that the performance criteria will be achieved.

Income tax related cash flows resulting from equity-based payments are reported as a component of operating activities.

Share Repurchases

Share repurchases under our share repurchase authorization may be made through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions at the current market prices. From time-to-time, we return treasury shares acquired through share repurchases to the status of authorized but unissued. Our accounting policy is to deduct the par value from common stock and to reflect any excess of cost over par value as a deduction from additional paid-in capital.

Leases

We lease property and equipment in the ordinary course of our business. Our most significant lease obligations are for property and equipment specific to our industry, including real property operated as a landfill or transfer station and operating equipment. Our leases have varying terms. Some may include renewal or purchase options, escalation clauses, restrictions, penalties or other obligations that we consider in determining minimum lease payments. Leases are classified as either operating leases or capital leases, as appropriate.

Operating Leases

Many of our leases are operating leases. This classification generally can be attributed to either (1) relatively low fixed minimum lease payments (including, for example, real property lease payments that are not fixed and vary based on the volume of waste we receive or process), or (2) minimum lease terms that are shorter than the assets’ economic useful lives. We expect that, in the normal course of business, our operating leases will be renewed, replaced by other leases, or replaced with fixed asset expenditures. We record rental expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

Capital Leases

We capitalize assets acquired under capital leases at the inception of each lease and amortize them to depreciation expense over the lesser of the useful life of the asset or the lease term on either a straight-line or a units-of-consumption basis, depending on the asset leased. We record the present value of the related lease payments as a debt obligation. Our capital lease liability relates primarily to certain long-term landfill operating agreements that require minimum lease payments with offsetting capital lease assets recorded as part of the landfill development costs.

Related Party Transactions

It is our policy that transactions with related parties must be on terms that, on the whole, are no less favorable than those that would be available from unaffiliated parties.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Standards Adopted

Statement of Cash flows

Effective January 1, 2018 we adopted ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (ASU 2016-15) using a retrospective approach to each period presented. In accordance with the standard, we recognize contingent consideration and holdbacks paid within three months of an acquisition's consummation date as cash outflows from investing activities in the statement of cash flows. Payments made thereafter are recognized as cash outflows from financing activities in the statement of cash flows. As the requirements of the standard do not significantly differ from our previous accounting policy, our adoption of this guidance did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Restricted Cash (ASU 2016-18) using a retrospective approach to each period presented. As a result of our adoption of the standard, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents are included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. Consequently, we reclassified the $50.6 million and $(8.9) million change in restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents from cash used in investing activities for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Beginning-of-period and end-of-period cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents as presented in the statement of cash flows is reconciled as follows:



	December 31, 2018			December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents	$	70.5		$	83.3		$	67.8
Restricted cash and marketable securities	108.1			141.1			90.5
Less: restricted marketable securities	(45.3		)	(45.3		)	(45.3		)
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents	$	133.3		$	179.1		$	113.0

Business Combinations

Effective January 1, 2018 we adopted ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805) - Clarifying the Definition of Business (ASU 2017-01), which assists entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. ASU 2017-01 provides a screen that when substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired (or disposed of) is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or a group of similar identifiable assets, the set is not a business. If the screen is not met, the entity then evaluates whether the set meets the requirement that a business include, at a minimum, an input and a substantive process that together significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs. The guidance prescribed by ASU 2017-01 will be applied prospectively to relevant transactions that close on or after January 1, 2018. As a result of adoption, in 2018, certain acquisitions that would have previously been accounted for as business combinations were accounted for as acquisitions of significant collective assets.

Retirement Benefits

Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2017-07, Compensation - Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) - Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost (ASU 2017-07) using a retrospective approach to each period presented. The standard requires that an employer report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if one is presented.

As our pension plan is frozen, we do not have service costs that qualify for the treatment prescribed by ASU 2017-07. Subsequent to the adoption of ASU 2017-07, net benefit cost (income) is reported in net income. Our adoption of ASU 2017-07 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017.

Stock Compensation

Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2017-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting (ASU 2017-09), which provides clarification on when modification accounting should be used for changes to the terms of conditions of a share-base payment award. ASU 2017-09 does not change the accounting for modifications but clarifies that modification accounting guidance should only be applied if there is a change to the value, vesting conditions, or award classification and would not be required if the changes are considered non-substantive. The adoption of ASU 2017-09 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018.

Revenue Recognition

Effective January 1, 2018, we adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and Other Assets and Deferred Costs-Contracts with Customers (Subtopic 340-40) (ASU 2014-09 or the new revenue recognition standard) using the modified retrospective approach. We recognized the cumulative effect of adopting the new revenue recognition standard as an adjustment to the beginning balance of retained earnings as of the date of adoption. The comparative periods have not been restated and continue to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods. The timing and pattern of revenue recognition has not significantly changed under the new revenue recognition standard, nor has there been a material change to our operating or net income.

Under ASU 2014-09, we record revenue when control is transferred to the customer, generally at the time we provide a service. While the timing and pattern of revenue recognition remains unchanged, we identified certain consideration payable to our customers that is now recorded as a reduction of revenue in accordance with the new revenue recognition standard. These costs were historically recorded as a component of cost of operations and include:


•	payments issued to our municipal customers in accordance with our residential collection contracts,


•	payments issued to our municipal customers in accordance with certain landfill operating agreements, and


•	commodity rebates in our collection and recycling lines of business.

Historically, we also recognized certain upfront payments to acquire customer contracts as other assets in our consolidated balance sheet and amortized the asset as a component of depreciation, amortization and depletion over the respective contract life. In accordance with the new revenue recognition standard, we now amortize the asset as a reduction of revenue. The timing and pattern of recognizing these payments to our customers have not significantly changed under the new revenue recognition standard.

In addition, we historically recognized sales commissions as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses as they were incurred. In accordance with the new revenue recognition standard, we identified certain sales commissions that represent an incremental cost of the contract and should be capitalized and amortized to selling, general and administrative expense over the average life of the customer relationship.

The cumulative effect of the changes made to our consolidated balance sheet for the adoption of ASU 2014-09 was as follows:



	Balance at December 31, 2017		Adjustments due to our adoption of ASU 2014-09		Balance at January 1, 2018
Balance Sheet
Assets
Other assets	$	335.2	$	43.8	$	379.0

Liabilities
Deferred income taxes and other long-term tax liabilities, net	$	796.4	$	10.4	$	806.8

Equity
Retained earnings	$	4,152.5	$	33.4	$	4,185.9

The impact of our adoption of the new revenue recognition standard on our consolidated income statement for the year ended December 31, 2018 was as follows:



	For the year ended December 31, 2018
	As Reported		Effect of Change			As Computed Excluding the Adoption of ASU 2014-09
Income Statement
Revenue	$	10,040.9	$	342.9		$	10,383.8
Expenses:
Cost of operations	$	6,150.0	$	337.0		$	6,487.0
Depreciation, amortization and depletion	$	1,033.4	$	5.9		$	1,039.3
Selling, general and administrative	$	1,059.5	$	0.4		$	1,059.9
Operating income	$	1,735.8	$	(0.4	)	$	1,735.4

Income Taxes

In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-05, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SEC Update) which provides guidance on accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act. See Note 10, Income Taxes for discussion of the impact resulting from our adoption of this standard.

Accounting Standards Issued but not yet Adopted

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (ASU 2016-02), which increases transparency and

comparability among organizations by requiring lease assets and lease liabilities to be recognized on the balance sheet and requiring certain disclosures regarding key information about leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize lease assets and liabilities for most leases classified as operating leases under previous U.S. GAAP. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. As such, Republic adopted the standard beginning January 1, 2019 using the optional transition method prescribed by ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements, whereby we will recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment at the beginning of the period of adoption.

Under ASU 2016-02, we will recognize a right-of-use asset and a right-of-use liability for leases classified as operating leases in our consolidated balance sheet. We have applied the package of practical expedients to leases that commenced before the effective date and elected not to reassess the following: (i) whether any expired or existing contracts contain leases; (ii) the lease classification for any expired or existing leases; and (iii) initial direct costs for any existing leases.

To assist in quantifying the impact on our consolidated financial statements and supplementing our existing disclosures, we designed internal controls over the adoption and implemented a software solution to manage and account for our leases. As of January 1, 2019, we expect to recognize a right-of-use liability for our operating leases of between approximately $240 million and $270 million classified as other accrued liabilities and other long-term liabilities and a corresponding right-of-use asset of between approximately $225 million and $255 million as other long-term assets in our consolidated balance sheet. The difference of which reflects adjustments to the right-of-use asset for certain favorable or unfavorable leases recognized through historical purchase accounting, prepaid or accrued rent, and lease exit accruals recognized on our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018. We do not expect to recognize a material cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of January 1, 2019, and we do not expect our adoption of the standard to have a material impact on our consolidated statement of income or consolidated statement of cash flows. We also do not expect our adoption of the standard to have a material impact on our accounting for finance (capital) leases.

We assessed the disclosure requirements under ASU 2016-02, and we anticipate disclosing additional information, as necessary, to comply with the standard.

Derivatives and Hedging

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities (ASU 2017-12). ASU 2017-12 intends to address concerns through changes to hedge accounting guidance which will accomplish the following: a) Expand hedge accounting for nonfinancial and financial risk components and amend measurement methodologies to more closely align hedge accounting with a company's risk management activities; b) Decrease the complexity of preparing and understanding hedge results through eliminating the separate measurement and reporting of hedge ineffectiveness; c) Enhance transparency, comparability and understandability of hedge results through enhanced disclosures and changing the presentation of hedge results to align the effects of the hedging instrument and the hedged item; and d) Reduce the cost and complexity of applying hedge accounting by simplifying the manner in which assessments of hedge effectiveness may be performed. ASU 2017-12 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Republic adopted this update on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective approach. Our adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In November 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-16, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Inclusion of the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) Overnight Index Swap (OIS) Rate as a Benchmark Interest Rate for Hedge Accounting (ASU 2018-16). ASU 2018-16 permits the use of the Overnight Index Swap (OIS) rate based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) as a U.S. benchmark interest rate for hedge accounting purposes under Topic 815, in addition to the direct Treasury obligations of the U.S. Government (UST) rate, the LIBOR swap rate, the OIS rate based on the Fed Funds Effective Rate, and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) Municipal Swap Rate. As LIBOR is expected to no longer be published by 2021, including the OIS rate based on SOFR as an eligible benchmark interest rate during the early stages of the marketplace transition will facilitate the LIBOR to SOFR transition and provide sufficient lead time for entities to prepare for changes to interest rate risk hedging strategies for both risk management and hedge accounting purposes. ASU 2018-16 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Concurrent adoption with ASU 2017-12 is required for companies that have not yet adopted ASU 2017-12. Republic adopted the update January 1, 2019 concurrently with ASU 2017-12. Our adoption of this guidance is not expected to have material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Reclassifications of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (ASU 2018-02). ASU 2018-02 allows the reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Tax Act). Consequently, the amendments eliminate the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Act and will improve the usefulness of information reported to financial statement users. However, because the amendments only relate to the reclassification of the income tax effects of the Tax Act, the underlying guidance that requires that the effect of a change in tax laws or rates be included in income from continuing operations is not affected. ASU 2018-02 is effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Republic adopted this update on January 1, 2019. Our adoption of this guidance is not expected to have material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting

In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting (ASU 2018-07). ASU 2018-07 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for nonemployee share-based payment transactions resulting from expanding the scope of Topic 718, Compensation - Stock Compensation, to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. ASU 2018-07 is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within that fiscal year. We do not expect this update to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) No. 2018-15 Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract (ASU 2018-15). ASU 2018-15 provides additional guidance on the accounting for costs of implementation activities performed in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract. The amendments in ASU 2018-15 align the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software (and hosting arrangements that include an internal use software license). Costs for implementation activities in the application development stage are capitalized depending on the nature of the costs, while costs incurred during the preliminary project and post implementation stages are expensed as the activities are performed. ASU 2018-15 is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within that fiscal year. Early adoption of the amendments in ASU 2018-15 is permitted, including adoption in any interim period, for all entities. The amendments in ASU 2018-15 should be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all implementation costs incurred after the date of adoption. We are currently assessing the effect this guidance may have on our consolidated financial statements and may consider early adoption.

Business Acquisitions, Investments and Restructuring Charges

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Business Acquisitions, Investments and Restructuring Charges

BUSINESS ACQUISITIONS, INVESTMENTS AND RESTRUCTURING CHARGES

We acquired various waste businesses during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. The purchase price paid for these business acquisitions and the allocations of the purchase price follows:



	2018			2017
Purchase price:
Cash used in acquisitions, net of cash acquired	$	99.9		$	325.4
Contingent consideration	—			5.2
Holdbacks	11.2			7.7
Fair value, future minimum lease payments	—			6.0
Fair value of operations surrendered	78.6			70.1
Total	$	189.7		$	414.4
Allocated as follows:
Restricted cash	$	—		$	2.9
Accounts receivable	6.4			28.5
Landfill airspace	22.2			28.0
Property and equipment	28.0			130.7
Other assets	0.1			51.3
Inventory	0.2			4.3
Accounts payable	(0.3		)	(6.5		)
Environmental remediation liabilities	—			(0.8		)
Closure and post-closure liabilities	(1.5		)	(5.4		)
Other liabilities	(6.1		)	(25.0		)
Fair value of tangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed	49.0			208.0
Excess purchase price to be allocated	$	140.7		$	206.4
Excess purchase price to be allocated as follows:
Other intangible assets	$	27.8		$	25.5
Goodwill	112.9			180.9
Total allocated	$	140.7		$	206.4

One of our fourth quarter 2018 acquisitions included certain hauling and recycling operations, the effects of which impacted our Group 1 operating segment. On a preliminary basis, we recorded $10.3 million of property and equipment, $12.4 million of intangible assets and $41.8 million of goodwill. Contemporaneous with this acquisition, we divested certain hauling and transfer operations in our Group 1 operating segment with a fair value of approximately $79 million, resulting in a gain on disposition of $39.5 million.

One of our third quarter 2017 acquisitions included certain hauling, recycling and landfill operations, the effects of which impacted both of our operating segments. We recorded $35.2 million of property and equipment, $8.8 million of intangible assets and $26.1 million of goodwill. Contemporaneous with this acquisition, we divested certain hauling operations in our Group 1 operating segment with a fair value of approximately $70 million, resulting in a gain on disposition of $17.1 million.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, we acquired all of the issued and outstanding shares of RE Community Holdings II, Inc. (ReCommunity) for $167.1 million, net of cash acquired, plus $5.3 million of certain capital leases. Prior to the acquisition, ReCommunity was the largest independent recycling-processing company in the United States, with 26 recycling processing centers in 14 states, operating primarily in locations where Republic maintains a leading market presence. We allocated $50.0 million of property and equipment, $48.5 million of deferred tax assets, $3.5 million of intangible assets and $69.1 million of goodwill.

The purchase price allocations are preliminary and are based on information existing at the acquisition dates. Accordingly, the purchase price allocations are subject to change. Substantially all of the goodwill and intangible assets recorded for acquisitions in 2018 were deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill of $42.2 million recorded for certain acquisitions in 2017 was not deductible for tax purposes.

These acquisitions are not material to the Company's results of operations, individually or in the aggregate. As a result, no pro forma financial information is provided.

Investments

In 2018 and 2017, we acquired non-controlling equity interests in certain limited liability companies that qualified for investment tax credits under Section 48 of the Internal Revenue Code. In exchange for our noncontrolling interests, we made certain capital contributions of approximately $82 million and $29 million, which were recorded to other long-term assets in our December 31, 2018 and 2017 consolidated balance sheets, respectively. During 2018 and 2017, we also reduced the carrying value of these investments by $35.8 million and $27.4 million, respectively, as a result of tax credits allocated to us, cash distributions, and our share of income and loss pursuant to the terms of the limited liability company agreements.

For further discussion of the income tax benefits, see Note 10, Income Taxes.

Restructuring Charges

In January 2018, we eliminated certain positions following the consolidation of select back-office functions, including but not limited to the integration of our National Accounts support functions into our existing corporate support functions. These changes include a reduction in administrative staffing and closing of certain office locations. During 2018, we incurred restructuring charges of $26.4 million that primarily consisted of severance and other employee termination benefits, the closure of offices with non-cancelable lease agreements, and the redesign of our back-office functions and software systems. We paid $24.7 million during 2018 related to these restructuring efforts.

In January 2016, we realigned our field support functions by combining our three regions into two field groups, consolidating our areas and streamlining select operational support roles at our Phoenix headquarters. Additionally, in the second quarter of 2016, we began the redesign of our back-office functions as well as the consolidation of over 100 customer service locations into three Customer Resource Centers. The redesign of our back-office functions and software systems continued into 2018. During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, we incurred $17.6 million and $40.7 million of restructuring charges, respectively, that primarily consisted of severance and other employee termination benefits, transition costs, relocation benefits, and the closure of offices with lease agreements with non-cancelable terms. The savings realized from these restructuring efforts have been reinvested in our customer-focused programs and initiatives. During 2017 and 2016, we paid $18.6 million and $32.5 million, respectively, related to these restructuring efforts.

Property and Equipment, Net

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property and Equipment, Net

PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET

A summary of property and equipment, net as of December 31 follows:



	2018			2017
Land	$	443.6		$	433.2
Non-depletable landfill land	167.5			166.9
Landfill development costs	7,106.0			6,757.3
Vehicles and equipment	7,377.3			6,954.3
Buildings and improvements	1,279.8			1,221.5
Construction-in-progress - landfill	287.9			233.2
Construction-in-progress - other	89.9			55.7
	$	16,752.0		$	15,822.1
Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization
Landfill development costs	$	(3,635.9	)	$	(3,317.3	)
Vehicles and equipment	(4,571.1		)	(4,259.7		)
Buildings and improvements	(524.9		)	(467.7		)
	(8,731.9		)	(8,044.7		)
Property and equipment, net	$	8,020.1		$	7,777.4

Depreciation, depletion and amortization of property and equipment was $977.0 million, $965.3 million and $919.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS, NET

Our senior management evaluates, oversees and manages the financial performance of our operations through two field groups, referred to as Group 1 and Group 2.

Goodwill

A summary of the activity and balances in goodwill accounts by reporting segment follows:



	Balance as of December 31, 2017		Acquisitions		Divestitures			Adjustments to Acquisitions			Balance as of December 31, 2018
Group 1	$	6,084.0	$	94.8	$	(27.0	)	$	(1.2	)	$	6,150.6
Group 2	5,231.4		18.1		(4.1		)	4.1			5,249.5
Total	$	11,315.4	$	112.9	$	(31.1	)	$	2.9		$	11,400.1



	Balance as of December 31, 2016		Acquisitions		Divestitures			Adjustments to Acquisitions			Balance as of December 31, 2017
Group 1	$	6,055.9	$	57.7	$	(23.5	)	$	(6.1	)	$	6,084.0
Group 2	5,107.3		123.2		(5.1		)	6.0			5,231.4
Total	$	11,163.2	$	180.9	$	(28.6	)	$	(0.1	)	$	11,315.4

Adjustments to acquisitions during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 primarily related to working capital and deferred taxes.

Goodwill by reporting segment as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 reflects the transfer of certain areas between our two field groups.

Other intangible assets, net, include values assigned to customer relationships, franchise agreements, other municipal agreements, non-compete agreements and trade names, and are amortized over periods ranging from 1 to 18 years. A summary of the activity and balances by intangible asset type follows:



	Gross Intangible Assets									Accumulated Amortization											Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2018
	Balance as of December 31, 2017		Acquisitions		Adjustments and Other ⁽¹⁾			Balance as of December 31, 2018		Balance as of December 31, 2017			Additions Charged to Expense			Adjustments and Other ⁽¹⁾		Balance as of December 31, 2018			Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2018
Customer relationships, franchise and other municipal agreements	$	666.0	$	27.0	$	(0.6	)	$	692.4	$	(554.7	)	$	(52.5	)	$	—	$	(607.2	)	$	85.2
Non-compete agreements	35.6		1.5		(0.1		)	37.0		(28.5		)	(3.1		)	0.1		(31.5		)	5.5
Other intangible assets	73.8		—		(9.5		)	64.3		(51.1		)	(1.2		)	3.8		(48.5		)	15.8
Total	$	775.4	$	28.5	$	(10.2	)	$	793.7	$	(634.3	)	$	(56.8	)	$	3.9	$	(687.2	)	$	106.5

(1) In accordance with our adoption of ASU 2014-09, we transferred a $5.7 million net deferred contract asset to Other Assets during the year ended December 31, 2018.



	Gross Intangible Assets								Accumulated Amortization											Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2017
	Balance as of December 31, 2016		Acquisitions		Divestitures		Balance as of December 31, 2017		Balance as of December 31, 2016			Additions Charged to Expense			Divestitures		Balance as of December 31, 2017			Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2017
Customer relationships, franchise and other municipal agreements	$	650.8	$	15.2	$	—	$	666.0	$	(492.5	)	$	(62.2	)	$	—	$	(554.7	)	$	111.3
Non-compete agreements	32.1		3.5		—		35.6		(25.3		)	(3.2		)	—		(28.5		)	7.1
Other intangible assets	67.0		6.8		—		73.8		(49.8		)	(1.3		)	—		(51.1		)	22.7
Total	$	749.9	$	25.5	$	—	$	775.4	$	(567.6	)	$	(66.7	)	$	—	$	(634.3	)	$	141.1

Based on the amortizable intangible assets recorded in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018, amortization expense for each of the next five years is estimated as follows:



2019	$	15.6
2020	$	13.2
2021	$	11.9
2022	$	10.6
2023	$	9.5

Other Assets

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Other Assets

OTHER ASSETS

Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets

A summary of prepaid expenses and other current assets as of December 31 follows:



	2018		2017
Income tax receivable	$	187.7	$	59.7
Prepaid expenses	85.8		78.6
Inventories	53.1		51.2
Other non-trade receivables	34.4		28.6
Reinsurance receivable	25.7		23.1
Other current assets	4.5		6.4
Total	$	391.2	$	247.6

Other Assets

A summary of other assets as of December 31 follows:



	2018		2017
Deferred compensation plan	$	100.0	$	99.9
Deferred contract costs and sales commissions	89.2		43.6
Investments	73.0		27.2
Reinsurance receivable	68.0		65.9
Amounts recoverable for capping, closure and post-closure obligations	30.5		29.9
Interest rate swaps and locks	12.8		27.1
Deferred financing costs	4.2		3.0
Other	40.1		38.6
Total	$	417.8	$	335.2

Other Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]

Other Liabilities

OTHER LIABILITIES

Other Accrued Liabilities

A summary of other accrued liabilities as of December 31 follows:



	2018		2017
Accrued payroll and benefits	$	205.1	$	212.2
Insurance reserves, current portion	152.9		144.8
Accrued fees and taxes	124.2		129.7
Accrued dividends	121.0		114.4
Ceded insurance reserves, current portion	25.7		23.1
Accrued professional fees and legal settlement reserves	13.1		45.1
Current tax liabilities	0.2		11.7
Other	86.4		127.2
Total	$	728.6	$	808.2

Other Long-Term Liabilities

A summary of other long-term liabilities as of December 31 follows:



	2018		2017
Deferred compensation plan	$	96.0	$	97.9
Contingent consideration and acquisition holdbacks	73.9		71.3
Ceded insurance reserves	68.0		65.9
Withdrawal liability - multiemployer pension funds	12.2		12.6
Legal settlement reserves	10.0		—
Pension and other post-retirement liabilities	6.0		7.0
Other	55.3		57.4
Total	$	321.4	$	312.1

Insurance Reserves

Our liabilities for unpaid and incurred but not reported claims as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 (which include claims for workers’ compensation, commercial general and auto liability, and employee-related health care benefits) were $423.7 million and $420.2 million, respectively, under our risk management program and are included in other accrued liabilities and insurance reserves, net of current portion, in our consolidated balance sheets. While the ultimate amount of claims incurred depends on future developments, we believe the recorded reserves are adequate to cover the future payment of claims; however, it is possible that these recorded reserves may not be adequate to cover the future payment of claims. Adjustments, if any, to estimates recorded resulting from ultimate claim payments will be reflected in our consolidated statement of income in the periods in which such adjustments are known.

The following table summarizes the activity in our insurance reserves for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	420.2		$	418.5		$	405.8
Additions charged to expense	452.4			432.9			410.3
Payments	(461.4		)	(448.0		)	(400.5		)
Accretion expense	0.9			1.2			1.5
Premium written for third party risk assumed	31.6			29.6			23.4
Reclassified to ceded insurance reserves	(20.0		)	(14.0		)	(22.0		)
Balance at end of year	423.7			420.2			418.5
Less: current portion	(152.9		)	(144.8		)	(143.9		)
Long-term portion	$	270.8		$	275.4		$	274.6

Landfill and Environmental Costs

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]

Landfill and Environmental Costs

LANDFILL AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS

As of December 31, 2018, we owned or operated 190 active landfills with total available disposal capacity of approximately 5.1 billion in-place cubic yards. Additionally, we had 129 closed landfills.

A summary of our accrued landfill and environmental liabilities as of December 31 follows:



	2018			2017
Landfill final capping, closure and post-closure liabilities	$	1,292.0		$	1,257.7
Environmental remediation	540.2			564.0
Total accrued landfill and environmental costs	1,832.2			1,821.7
Less: current portion	(130.6		)	(135.2		)
Long-term portion	$	1,701.6		$	1,686.5

Final Capping, Closure and Post-Closure Costs

The following table summarizes the activity in our asset retirement obligation liabilities, which includes liabilities for final capping, closure and post-closure, for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Asset retirement obligation liabilities, beginning of year	$	1,257.7		$	1,224.6		$	1,181.6
Non-cash additions	43.9			45.2			41.0
Acquisitions, net of divestitures and other adjustments	(0.7		)	(20.3		)	0.8
Asset retirement obligation adjustments	(17.7		)	(8.9		)	(0.5		)
Payments	(71.9		)	(62.7		)	(77.4		)
Accretion expense	80.7			79.8			79.1
Asset retirement obligation liabilities, end of year	1,292.0			1,257.7			1,224.6
Less: current portion	(76.7		)	(77.4		)	(64.8		)
Long-term portion	$	1,215.3		$	1,180.3		$	1,159.8

We review our landfill asset retirement obligations at least annually. As a result, we reduced amortization expense by $13.2 million, $0.1 million and $6.5 million for 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively, primarily related to changes in estimates and assumptions concerning the anticipated waste flow, cost and timing of future final capping, closure and post-closure activities.

The fair value of assets that are legally restricted for purposes of settling final capping, closure and post-closure obligations was $29.5 million as of December 31, 2018 and is included in restricted cash and marketable securities in our consolidated balance sheet.

The expected future payments for final capping, closure and post-closure as of December 31, 2018 follows:



2019	$	76.7
2020	89.0
2021	74.7
2022	68.3
2023	74.7
Thereafter	6,114.6
	$	6,498.0

The estimated remaining final capping, closure and post-closure expenditures presented above are not inflated and not discounted and reflect the total estimated future payments for liabilities which include those incurred and recorded as of December 31, 2018 as well as liabilities yet to be incurred over the remaining life of our landfills.

Environmental Remediation Liabilities

We accrue for remediation costs when they become probable and can be reasonably estimated. There can sometimes be a range of reasonable estimates of the costs associated with remediation of a site. In these cases, we use the amount within the range that constitutes our best estimate. If no amount within the range appears to be a better estimate than any other, we use the amount that is at the low end of such range. It is reasonably possible that we will need to adjust the liabilities recorded for remediation to reflect the effects of new or additional information, to the extent such information impacts the costs, timing or duration of the required actions. If we used the reasonably possible high ends of our ranges, our aggregate potential remediation liability as of December 31, 2018 would be approximately $372 million higher than the amounts recorded. Future changes in our estimates of the cost, timing or duration of the required actions could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The following table summarizes the activity in our environmental remediation liabilities for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Environmental remediation liabilities, beginning of year	$	564.0		$	602.9		$	646.1
Net additions charged to expense	5.0			0.4			(1.6		)
Payments	(48.8		)	(54.8		)	(66.8		)
Accretion expense (non-cash interest expense)	20.2			21.0			23.4
Acquisitions, net of divestitures and other adjustments	(0.2		)	(5.5		)	1.8
Environmental remediation liabilities, end of year	540.2			564.0			602.9
Less: current portion	(53.9		)	(57.8		)	(77.9		)
Long-term portion	$	486.3		$	506.2		$	525.0

The expected undiscounted future payments for remediation costs as of December 31, 2018 follows:



2019	$	53.9
2020	104.7
2021	57.0
2022	49.2
2023	51.8
Thereafter	420.7
	$	737.3

The following is a discussion of certain of our significant remediation matters:

Bridgeton Landfill. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we paid $16.2 million related to management and monitoring of the remediation area for our closed Bridgeton Landfill in Missouri. We continue to work with state and federal regulatory agencies on our remediation efforts. From time to time, this may require us to modify our future operating timeline and procedures, which could result in changes to our expected liability. As of December 31, 2018, the remediation liability recorded for this site is $161.1 million, of which approximately $15 million is expected to be paid during 2019. We believe the remaining reasonably possible high end of our range would be approximately $171 million higher than the amount recorded as of December 31, 2018.

During 2018, we collected an insurance recovery of $40.0 million related to our closed Bridgeton Landfill in Missouri. As such, we recorded a reduction of remediation expenses included in our cost of operations during the year ended December 31, 2018.

West Lake Landfill Superfund Site. Our subsidiary Bridgeton Landfill, LLC is one of several currently designated Potentially Responsible Parties for the West Lake Landfill Superfund site (West Lake) in Missouri. On September 27, 2018, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a Record of Decision Amendment for West Lake that includes a total undiscounted cost estimate of $229 million over a four to five-year design and construction timeline. At this time we are neither able to predict the final design of that remedy, nor estimate how much of the future response costs of the site our subsidiary may agree or be required to pay. During any subsequent administrative proceedings or litigation, our subsidiary will vigorously contest liability for the costs of remediating radiologically-impacted materials generated on behalf of the federal government during the Manhattan Project and delivered to the site by an Atomic Energy Commission licensee and its subcontractor. Currently, we believe we are adequately reserved for our expected remediation liability. However, subsequent events related to remedy design, divisibility or allocation may require us to modify our expected remediation liability.

Debt

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Debt

DEBT

The carrying value of our notes payable, capital leases and long-term debt as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 is listed in the following table, and is adjusted for the fair value of interest rate swaps, unamortized discounts, deferred issuance costs and the unamortized portion of adjustments to fair value recorded in purchase accounting. Original issue discounts and adjustments to fair value recorded in purchase accounting are amortized to interest expense over the term of the applicable instrument using the effective interest method.



		2018								2017
Maturity	Interest Rate	Principal		Adjustments			Carrying Value			Principal		Adjustments			Carrying Value
Credit facilities:
Uncommitted Credit Facility	Variable	$	33.4	$	—		$	33.4		$	—	$	—		$	—
June 2019	Variable	—		—			—			130.0		—			130.0
May 2021	Variable	—		—			—			—		—			—
June 2023	Variable	159.0		—			159.0			—		—			—
Senior notes:
May 2018	3.800	—		—			—			700.0		(0.3		)	699.7
September 2019	5.500	650.0		(0.9		)	649.1			650.0		(2.1		)	647.9
March 2020	5.000	850.0		(1.0		)	849.0			850.0		(1.8		)	848.2
November 2021	5.250	600.0		(1.2		)	598.8			600.0		(1.5		)	598.5
June 2022	3.550	850.0		(3.6		)	846.4			850.0		(4.6		)	845.4
May 2023	4.750	550.0		(5.5		)	544.5			550.0		(1.0		)	549.0
March 2025	3.200	500.0		(4.3		)	495.7			500.0		(4.8		)	495.2
June 2026	2.900	500.0		(4.4		)	495.6			500.0		(5.0		)	495.0
November 2027	3.375	650.0		(5.9		)	644.1			650.0		(7.0		)	643.0
May 2028	3.950	800.0		(17.3		)	782.7			—		—			—
March 2035	6.086	181.9		(14.4		)	167.5			181.9		(14.9		)	167.0
March 2040	6.200	399.9		(3.8		)	396.1			399.9		(3.9		)	396.0
May 2041	5.700	385.7		(5.3		)	380.4			385.7		(5.5		)	380.2
Debentures:
May 2021	9.250	35.3		(0.7		)	34.6			35.3		(1.0		)	34.3
September 2035	7.400	148.1		(33.8		)	114.3			148.1		(34.5		)	113.6
Tax-exempt:
2019 - 2044	1.970 - 2.500	1,042.4		(5.6		)	1,036.8			1,042.4		(6.4		)	1,036.0
Capital leases:
2019 - 2046	3.273 - 12.203	109.5		—			109.5			108.4		—			108.4
Total Debt		$	8,445.2	$	(107.7	)	8,337.5			$	8,281.7	$	(94.3	)	8,187.4
Less: current portion							(690.7		)						(706.7		)
Long-term portion							$	7,646.8							$	7,480.7

Loss on Extinguishment of Debt and Other Related Costs

During 2018, we incurred a non-cash loss on the early extinguishment of debt of $0.3 million related to the extinguishment of certain financing arrangements.

During 2017, we incurred a non-cash loss on the early extinguishment of debt of $0.8 million related to the early retirement of certain tax-exempt bonds.

During 2016, we incurred a non-cash loss on the early extinguishment of debt and other related costs. We paid a cash premium of $148.1 million, early tender consideration of $28.7 million and $1.6 million of legal and other fees. We also incurred a non-cash charge related to the proportional share of unamortized discounts and deferred issuance costs of $17.8 million. The unamortized proportional share of certain cash flow hedges reclassified to earnings as non-cash interest expense was $7.2 million.

Credit Facilities

In June 2018, we entered into a $2.25 billion unsecured revolving credit facility (the Credit Facility), which replaced our $1.0 billion and $1.25 billion unsecured credit facilities that would have matured in May 2021 and June 2019, respectively (the Replaced Credit Facilities). The Credit Facility matures in June 2023. We may request two one-year extensions of the maturity date but none of the lenders are committed to participate in such extension. The Credit Facility also includes a feature that allows us to increase availability, at our option, by an aggregate amount of up to $1.0 billion through increased commitments from existing lenders or the addition of new lenders. At our option, borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at a Base Rate, or a Eurodollar Rate, plus an applicable margin based on our Debt Ratings (all as defined in the Credit Facility agreement).

The Credit Facility is subject to facility fees based on applicable rates defined in the Credit Facility agreement and the aggregate commitment, regardless of usage. Availability under our Credit Facility totaled $1,694.1 million as of December 31, 2018 and under the Replaced Credit Facilities totaled $1,639.1 million as of December 31, 2017. The Credit Facility can be used for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, letters of credit and other general corporate purposes. The Credit Facility agreement requires us to comply with financial and other covenants. We may pay dividends and repurchase common stock if we are in compliance with these covenants.

As of December 31, 2018, we had $159.0 million of borrowings under our Credit Facility and $130.0 million of borrowings under the Replaced Credit Facilities as of December 31, 2017. We had $379.6 million of letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Facility as of December 31, 2018, and $462.7 million of letters of credit outstanding under our Replaced Credit Facilities as of December 31, 2017.

During 2016, we amended our existing unsecured bi-lateral credit facility agreement (the Uncommitted Credit Facility), to increase the size to $135.0 million, with all other terms remaining unchanged. Our Uncommitted Credit Facility bears interest at LIBOR, plus an applicable margin and is subject to facility fees defined in the Uncommitted Credit Facility agreement, regardless of usage. We can use borrowings under the Uncommitted Credit Facility for working capital and other general corporate purposes. The agreement governing our Uncommitted Credit Facility requires us to comply with covenants. The Uncommitted Credit Facility may be terminated by either party at any time. As of December 31, 2018, we had $33.4 million outstanding under our Uncommitted Credit Facility and no borrowings under our Uncommitted Credit Facility as of December 31, 2017.

Senior Notes and Debentures

In May 2018, we issued $800.0 million of 3.950% senior notes due 2028 (the 3.950% Notes). We used the net proceeds from the 3.950% Notes to repay $700.0 million of 3.800% senior notes that matured in May 2018, and the remaining proceeds were used to repay borrowings under our Replaced Credit Facilities. In connection with this offering we terminated interest rate lock agreements with a notional value of $600.0 million resulting in net proceeds of $31.1 million. The proceeds will amortize over the term of the 3.950% Notes using the effective interest method. There was no ineffectiveness recognized in the termination of these cash flow hedges.

During 2017, we issued $650.0 million of 3.375% notes due 2027 (the 3.375% Notes). We used the net proceeds from the 3.375% Notes to repay amounts borrowed under our Replaced Credit Facilities.

During 2016, we completed cash tender offers to purchase up to $575.4 million combined aggregate principal amount of the 6.20% Notes due March 2040, 5.70% Notes due May 2041, 7.40% Debentures due September 2035 and 6.09% Notes due March 2035 (collectively, the Existing Notes), subject to priority levels and the other terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. During 2016, we issued $500.0 million of 2.90% senior notes due 2026 (the 2.90% Notes). The sale of the 2.90% Notes closed on July 5, 2016. We used the net proceeds of the offering, together with borrowing under our credit facilities, to purchase $575.4 million of the combined aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes tendered as well as premium due of $148.1 million and early tender consideration of $28.7 million.

Our senior notes are general senior unsecured obligations. Interest is payable semi-annually. These senior notes have a make-whole provision that is exercisable at any time prior to the respective maturity dates per the debt table above at a stated redemption price.

Tax-Exempt Financings

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, we had $1,036.8 million and $1,036.0 million, respectively, of certain fixed and variable rate tax-exempt financings outstanding with maturities ranging from 2019 to 2044. Approximately 100% of our tax-exempt financings are remarketed quarterly by remarketing agents to effectively maintain a variable yield. The holders of the bonds can put them back to the remarketing agents at the end of each interest period. To date, the remarketing agents have been able to remarket our variable rate unsecured tax-exempt bonds.

In the fourth quarter of 2017, we retired $86.7 million of 5.25% tax-exempt bonds in advance of the maturity date. Additionally, the California Pollution Control Financing Authority (CPCFA) adopted a resolution approving the issuance and sale of up to $100.0 million of Solid Waste Disposal Revenue Bonds for the Benefit of Republic, under which CPCFA issued $50.0 million of variable-rate tax-exempt debt on our behalf. The proceeds from the issuance were used to fund qualifying landfill-related capital expenditures in the state of California.

Capital Leases

We had capital lease liabilities of $109.5 million and $108.4 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, with maturities ranging from 2019 to 2046.

Future Maturities of Debt

Aggregate principal maturities of notes payable, capital leases and other long-term debt as of December 31, 2018 follow:



2019	$	691.6
2020	926.8
2021	768.4
2022	855.9
2023	918.4
Thereafter	4,284.1
	$	8,445.2

Interest Paid

Interest paid, excluding net swap settlements for our fair value hedges, was $351.0 million, $326.9 million and $330.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Interest Rate Swap and Lock Agreements

Our ability to obtain financing through the capital markets is a key component of our financial strategy. Historically, we have managed risk associated with executing this strategy, particularly as it relates to fluctuations in interest rates, by using a combination of fixed and floating rate debt. From time to time, we also have entered into interest rate swap and lock agreements to manage risks associated with interest rates, either to effectively convert specific fixed rate debt to a floating rate (fair value hedges), or to lock interest rates in anticipation of future debt issuances (cash flow hedges).

Fair Value Hedges

During the second half of 2013, we entered into various interest rate swap agreements relative to our 4.750% fixed rate senior notes due in May 2023. The goal was to reduce overall borrowing costs and rebalance our debt portfolio's ratio of fixed to floating interest rates. As of December 31, 2018, these swap agreements have a total notional value of $300.0 million and mature in May 2023, which is identical to the maturity of the hedged senior notes. We pay interest at floating rates based on changes in LIBOR and receive interest at a fixed rate of 4.750%. These transactions were designated as fair value hedges because the swaps hedge against the changes in fair value of the fixed rate senior notes resulting from changes in interest rates.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the interest rate swap agreements are reflected at their fair value of $2.5 million and $8.0 million, respectively, and are included in other assets in our consolidated balance sheets. To the extent they are effective, these interest rate swap agreements are included as an adjustment to long-term debt in our consolidated balance sheets. We recognized net interest income of $1.9 million, $4.8 million and $6.3 million, respectively, during 2018, 2017 and 2016 related to net swap settlements for these interest rate swap agreements, which is included as an offset to interest expense in our consolidated statement of income.

We recognized a gain of $5.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and a gain of $6.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 on the change in fair value of the hedged senior notes attributable to changes in the benchmark interest rate, with offsetting losses of $5.4 million, $4.2 million, and $4.4 million for the years ended December 31,

2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively, on the related interest rate swaps. The difference of these fair value changes represents hedge ineffectiveness, which is recorded directly in earnings as other income, net.

Cash Flow Hedges

As of December 31, 2018, our interest rate lock agreements had an aggregate notional value of $725.0 million with fixed interest rates ranging from 1.900% to 3.250%. As of December 31, 2017 our interest rate lock agreements had an aggregate notional value of $825.0 million with fixed interest rates ranging from 1.900% to 2.418%. We entered into these transactions to manage exposure to fluctuations in interest rates in anticipation of planned future issuances of senior notes in 2019 and 2020. Upon the expected issuance of the senior notes, we will terminate the interest rate locks and settle with our counterparties. These transactions were accounted for as cash flow hedges. The fair value of our interest rate locks was determined using standard valuation models with assumptions about interest rates being based on those observed in underlying markets (Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy). The aggregate fair values of the outstanding interest rate locks as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 were $10.3 million and $19.1 million, respectively, and were recorded in other long-term assets in our consolidated balance sheets. No amounts were recognized in other income, net in our consolidated statement of income for the ineffective portion of the changes in fair values during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

Total (losses) gain recognized in other comprehensive income for interest rate locks were $(6.5) million, $(0.7) million and $12.2 million, net of tax, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the effective portion of our previously terminated interest rate locks, recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, was income of $11.2 million and loss of $11.8 million, respectively. The effective portion of the interest rate locks is amortized as an adjustment to interest expense over the life of the issued debt using the effective interest method. We expect to amortize approximately $0.7 million of net interest expense over the next twelve months as a yield adjustment of our senior notes.

The effective portion of the interest rate locks amortized as a net increase to interest expense during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $0.3 million, $2.7 million and $9.8 million, respectively.

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

INCOME TAXES

The components of the provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31 follow:



	2018			2017			2016
Current:
Federal	$	128.9		$	358.3		$	299.5
State	46.9			48.4			34.6
Deferred:
Federal	121.5			(388.1		)	44.9
State	30.6			9.1			2.3
State deferred benefit - change in valuation allowance	(4.5		)	9.6			(1.4		)
Uncertain tax positions and interest, and other	(40.1		)	(34.2		)	(27.2		)
Provision for income taxes	$	283.3		$	3.1		$	352.7

The reconciliations of the statutory federal income tax rate to our effective tax rate for the years ended December 31 follow:



	2018		2017		2016
Federal statutory rate	21.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	4.5		3.0		3.1
Change in valuation allowance	(0.3	)	(0.2	)	(0.1	)
Non-deductible expenses	1.9		1.8		0.9
Uncertain tax position taxes and interest	(0.5	)	—		(0.1	)
Investment tax credits	(3.8	)	(1.0	)	(1.1	)
Change in U.S. Tax Law	—		(36.2	)	—
Other, net	(1.3	)	(2.2	)	(1.2	)
Effective income tax rate	21.5	%	0.2	%	36.5	%

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Tax Act) was enacted on December 22, 2017. The Tax Act reduces the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, limits deductions for, among other things, interest expense, executive compensation and meals and entertainment while enhancing deductions for equipment and other fixed assets. The Tax Act also requires companies to pay a one-time transition tax on earnings of certain foreign subsidiaries that were previously tax deferred and creates new taxes on certain foreign sourced earnings.

The SEC staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SAB 118), which provides guidance on accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act’s enactment date for companies to complete its accounting under ASC 740.

In accordance with SAB 118, for the year ended December 31, 2017, we recorded provisional amounts based on our estimates of the Tax Act's effect on our deferred taxes, uncertain tax positions and the one-time transition tax. In aggregate, the provisional amounts reduced our 2017 tax provision by approximately $464 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2018, we adjusted the provisional amounts recorded as of December 31, 2017 for the one-time transition tax, deferred taxes and uncertain tax positions. These adjustments resulted in a net charge to the tax provision of $0.3 million. As of December 31, 2018, our accounting for the following elements of the Tax Act is complete:

•

We re-measured our deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future. As of December 31, 2017 we recorded provisional amounts as a reduction in our tax provision of approximately $473 million. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we adjusted the provisional amounts recorded as of December 31, 2017 to record an additional benefit of $3.7 million. Our accounting for our deferred balances is complete.

•

We adjusted our reserve for uncertain tax positions to reflect the lower federal benefit of state tax deductions. As of December 31, 2017, we recorded provisional amounts as additional tax provision expense of approximately $4 million. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we adjusted the provisional amounts recorded as of December 31, 2017 to record an additional tax provision expense of approximately $4 million. Our accounting for our uncertain tax positions is complete.


•	The one-time transition tax on our foreign subsidiaries is based on our total post-1986 earnings and profits (E&P) that we previously deferred from U.S. income taxes. As of December 31, 2017, we recorded a provisional amount as an increase to our tax provision by approximately $4 million. Our accounting for the one-time transition tax is complete.

The Tax Act also created a new requirement that Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (GILTI) earned by controlled foreign corporations (CFCs) must be included currently in the gross income of the CFCs U.S. shareholder. Under U.S. GAAP, we are allowed to make an accounting policy choice of either (1) treating taxes due on future U.S. inclusions in taxable income related to GILTI as a current-period expense when incurred (the period cost method) or (2) factoring such amounts into our measurement of deferred taxes (the deferral method). As we do not expect to have future U.S. inclusions in taxable income related to GILTI, we have selected the period cost method.

Outside of the impact of the Tax Act, our 2018 tax provision was reduced by $6.4 million due to the realization of tax credits and lower state rates due to changes in estimates following the completion of our 2017 tax returns.

We reduced our 2018 tax provision by $12.1 million due to excess tax benefits required to be recorded to the income statement resulting from the adoption of ASU 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718) (ASU 2016-09). Prior to 2017, these benefits were recorded directly to shareholders’ equity.

In addition, during 2018 we acquired non-controlling interests in limited liability companies established to construct solar energy assets that qualified for investment tax credits under Section 48 of the Internal Revenue Code. Our 2018 tax provision was reduced by approximately $50 million due to the tax credits related to these investments. We account for these investments using the equity method of accounting and recognize our share of income or loss and other reductions in the value of our investment in Loss from unconsolidated equity method investments within our consolidated statement of income. For further discussion regarding our equity method accounting, see Note 3, Business Acquisitions, Investments and Restructuring Charges, included herein.

As noted above, our 2017 tax provision reflected provisional amounts related to the Tax Act as a reduction in our tax provision by approximately $464 million. In addition, our 2017 tax provision was reduced by $19.6 million in excess tax benefits from ASU 2016-09, approximately $13 million related to the tax credits acquired from non-controlling interest in limited liability companies established to construct solar energy assets, and approximately $9 million due to the resolution of various state and federal tax matters as well as the realization of tax credits and lower state tax rates due to changes in estimates.

Our 2016 tax provision was reduced by approximately $13 million due to the resolution of various state and federal tax matters as well as the realization of tax credits and lower state rates due to changes in estimates. In addition, during 2016 we acquired a

noncontrolling interest in a limited liability company established to construct a solar energy asset that qualified for an investment tax credit under Section 48 of the Internal Revenue Code. Our 2016 tax provision was reduced by approximately $10 million primarily due to the tax credit related to this investment.

We made income tax payments (net of refunds) of approximately $210 million, $370 million and $265 million for 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Cash paid for income taxes (net of refunds) for 2018 was favorably affected by the Tax Act and our investment in solar energy assets.

Income taxes paid in 2018 and 2017 reflect the passage of the Tax Act which provided for 100% equipment expensing on qualified assets placed in service after September 27, 2017 and the favorable tax depreciation provisions of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act, signed into law in December 2015, which also provided for bonus depreciation deductions on assets placed in service in 2017 at 50% of the capitalized value. Income taxes paid in 2016 reflect the favorable tax depreciation provisions of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act.

The components of the net deferred income tax asset and liability as of December 31 follow:



	2018			2017
Deferred tax liabilities relating to:
Differences between book and tax basis of property and equipment	$	(799.9	)	$	(715.3	)
Difference between book and tax basis of intangible assets	(453.3		)	(446.9		)
Basis difference due to redemption of partnership interests	(88.8		)	(89.0		)
Total liabilities	$	(1,342.0	)	$	(1,251.2	)
Deferred tax assets relating to:
Environmental reserves	$	253.2		$	272.5
Accruals not currently deductible	78.9			106.2
Net operating loss carryforwards	134.3			143.3
Difference between book and tax basis of other assets	13.7			27.3
Other	12.9			14.4
Total assets	493.0			563.7
Valuation allowance	(73.5		)	(72.4		)
Net deferred tax asset	419.5			491.3
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	(922.5	)	$	(759.9	)

Changes in the deferred tax valuation allowance for the years ended December 31 follow:



	2018			2017			2016
Valuation allowance, beginning of year	$	72.4		$	62.3		$	63.7
Additions charged to provision for income taxes	0.9			12.9			0.3
Deferred tax assets realized or written-off	(5.9		)	(2.8		)	(1.4		)
Current year acquisitions	6.1			—			—
Other, net	—			—			(0.3		)
Valuation allowance, end of year	$	73.5		$	72.4		$	62.3

We have deferred tax assets related to state net operating loss carryforwards. We provide a partial valuation allowance due to uncertainty surrounding the future utilization of these carryforwards in the taxing jurisdictions where the loss carryforwards exist. When determining the need for a valuation allowance, we consider all positive and negative evidence, including recent financial results, scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income and tax planning strategies. The weight given to the positive and negative evidence is commensurate with the extent such evidence can be objectively verified. We adjust the valuation allowance in the period management determines it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will or will not be realized.

During 2018, the addition to our valuation allowance is related to a stock acquisition of an entity with state net operating loss carryforwards for which the usage of certain state net operating losses is limited under Internal Revenue Code Section 382.

In 2017, additions to our valuation allowance were due to the increase we recorded to our deferred taxes for existing state net operating losses resulting from the lower federal tax rate in the Tax Act.

Substantially all of our valuation allowance is associated with state loss carryforwards. The realization of our deferred tax asset for state loss carryforwards ultimately depends upon the existence of sufficient taxable income in the appropriate state taxing jurisdictions in future periods. We continue to regularly monitor both positive and negative evidence in determining the ongoing need for a valuation allowance.

We have deferred tax assets related to state net operating loss carryforwards with an estimated tax effect of approximately $118 million available as of December 31, 2018. These state net operating loss carryforwards expire at various times between 2018 and 2038. We believe that it is more likely than not that the benefit from some of our state net operating loss carryforwards will not be realized due to limitations on these loss carryforwards in certain states. In recognition of this risk, as of December 31, 2018, we have provided a valuation allowance of approximately $73 million.

As a result of the recent changes in U.S. tax law, as well as our ongoing efforts to streamline and maximize the efficiency of our tax footprint, we could further adjust our valuation allowance in a future period if there is sufficient evidence to support a conclusion that it is more likely than not that certain of the state net operating loss carryforwards, on which we currently provide a valuation allowance, would be realized.

We are subject to income tax in the United States and Puerto Rico, as well as income tax in multiple state jurisdictions. Our compliance with income tax rules and regulations is periodically audited by tax authorities. These authorities may challenge the positions taken in our tax filings. Thus, to provide for certain potential tax exposures, we maintain liabilities for uncertain tax positions for our estimate of the final outcome of the examinations. Our federal statute of limitations is closed for all years prior to 2015. However, we have filed a federal refund claim for the 2014 tax year that may be reviewed in future periods. We are currently under state examination or administrative review in various jurisdictions for tax years 2012 to 2017.

The following table summarizes the activity in our gross unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	39.3		$	46.1		$	47.0
Additions based on tax positions related to current year	—			—			—
Additions for tax positions of prior years	75.0			1.7			0.1
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(2.3		)	(8.0		)	(0.7		)
Reductions for tax positions resulting from lapse of statute of limitations	(5.1		)	(0.5		)	(0.3		)
Settlements	(2.0		)	—			—
Balance at end of year	$	104.9		$	39.3		$	46.1

During 2018, 2017 and 2016, we resolved tax matters in various states which reduced our gross unrecognized tax benefits by $9.5 million, $8.5 million and $1.0 million, respectively.

Included in our gross unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 are $96.3 million and $31.0 million, respectively, of unrecognized tax benefits (net of the federal benefit on state matters) that, if recognized, would affect our effective income tax rate in future periods. However, we are unable to estimate the resolution of these matters over the next twelve months.

During 2018, we accrued additional uncertain tax liabilities of approximately $63 million resulting from the filing of our 2017 tax returns and prior year amended tax returns that reflected uncertain tax positions. These additional liabilities for uncertain tax positions have no impact on our effective tax rate except for the possible future accrual of interest on a portion of the recorded liability. Any such future interest accruals will not significantly affect our provision for income taxes.

We recognize interest and penalties as incurred within the provision for income taxes in our consolidated statement of income. Related to the unrecognized tax benefits previously noted, we recorded interest expense of approximately $2 million during 2018 and, in total as of December 31, 2018, have recognized a liability for penalties of $0.5 million and interest of $11.7 million.

During 2017, we recorded interest expense of approximately $3 million and, in total as of December 31, 2017, had recognized a liability for penalties of $0.5 million and interest of $13.2 million. During 2016, we accrued interest of approximately $1 million and, in total as of December 31, 2016, had recognized a liability for penalties of $0.5 million and interest of $11.6 million.

We are currently under examination or administrative review by state and local taxing authorities for various tax years. These state audits are ongoing.

We believe the recorded liabilities for uncertain tax positions are adequate. However, a significant assessment against us in excess of the liabilities recorded could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Employee Benefit Plans

EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

Stock-Based Compensation

In February 2007, our Board of Directors approved the 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the 2007 Plan), and in May 2007 our shareholders ratified the 2007 Plan. In March 2011, our Board of Directors approved the Amended and Restated 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the Amended and Restated 2007 SIP), and in May 2011 our shareholders ratified the Amended and Restated 2007 SIP. In March 2013, our Board of Directors approved the Republic Services, Inc. Amended and Restated 2007 Stock Incentive Plan (the Republic Amended and Restated 2007 SIP), and in May 2013 our shareholders ratified the Republic Amended and Restated 2007 SIP (the 2007 Plan, the Amended and Restated 2007 SIP, and the Republic Amended and Restated 2007 SIP are collectively referred to in this Form 10-K as the Amended and Restated 2007 Stock Incentive Plan). We currently have approximately 13.4 million shares of common stock reserved for future grants under the Amended and Restated 2007 Stock Incentive Plan.

Options granted under the Amended and Restated 2007 Stock Incentive Plan are non-qualified and are granted at a price equal to the fair market value of our common stock at the date of grant. Generally, options granted have a term of seven to ten years from the date of grant, and vest in increments of 25% per year over a period of four years beginning on the first anniversary date of the grant. Options granted to non-employee directors have a term of ten years and are fully vested at the grant date.

In December 2008, our Board of Directors amended and restated the Republic Services, Inc. 2006 Incentive Stock Plan (formerly known as the Allied Waste Industries, Inc. 2006 Incentive Stock Plan) (the 2006 Plan). Allied’s shareholders approved the 2006 Plan in May 2006. The 2006 Plan was amended and restated in December 2008 to reflect Republic as the new sponsor of the 2006 Plan, to reflect that any references to shares of common stock are to shares of common stock of Republic, and to adjust outstanding awards and the number of shares available under the 2006 Plan to reflect the Allied acquisition. The 2006 Plan, as amended and restated, provided for the grant of non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, shares of restricted stock, shares of phantom stock, stock bonuses, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, performance awards, dividend equivalents, cash awards, or other stock-based awards. Awards granted under the 2006 Plan prior to December 5, 2008 became fully vested and nonforfeitable upon the closing of the Allied acquisition. No further awards will be made under the 2006 Plan.

Stock Options

We use a lattice binomial option-pricing model to value our stock option grants. We recognize compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each separately vesting portion of the award, or to the employee’s retirement eligible date, if earlier. Expected volatility is based on the weighted average of the most recent one year volatility and a historical rolling average volatility of our stock over the expected life of the option. The risk-free interest rate is based on Federal Reserve rates in effect for bonds with maturity dates equal to the expected term of the option. We did not grant stock options during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

The following table summarizes stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:



	Number of Shares (in millions)		Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)
Outstanding as of December 31, 2015	5.0		$	30.08
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(1.7	)	29.45			$	33.0
Forfeited or expired	(0.1	)	31.46
Outstanding as of December 31, 2016	3.2		30.35
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(1.3	)	29.80			$	42.1
Forfeited or expired	—		—
Outstanding as of December 31, 2017	1.9		30.72
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(0.9	)	29.73			$	36.5
Forfeited or expired	—		—
Outstanding and Exercisable as of December 31, 2018	1.0		$	31.65	1.3	$	39.6

Compensation Expense

During the year ended December 31, 2018, compensation expense for stock options was less than $0.1 million. During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, compensation expense for stock options was $0.1 million and $0.6 million, respectively.

As of December 31, 2018, all compensation expense related to outstanding stock options had been recognized. The total fair value of stock options that vested in 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $0.4 million, $3.0 million and $5.7 million, respectively.

Restricted Stock Units

The following table summarizes restricted stock unit (RSU) activity for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:



	Number of RSUs (in thousands)		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share		Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)
Unissued as of December 31, 2015	1,727.3		$	34.15
Granted	640.4		45.01
Vested and issued	(370.6	)	30.03
Forfeited	(173.3	)	38.77
Unissued as of December 31, 2016	1,823.8		37.49
Granted	642.5		59.87
Vested and issued	(602.5	)	36.26
Forfeited	(87.9	)	47.86
Unissued as of December 31, 2017	1,775.9		45.48
Granted	467.4		64.32
Vested and issued	(565.0	)	41.50
Forfeited	(85.7	)	54.84
Unissued as of December 31, 2018	1,592.6		$	51.88	1.0	$	114.8
Vested and unissued as of December 31, 2018	578.4		$	39.24

During 2018, we awarded our non-employee directors 36,885 RSUs, which vested immediately. During 2018, we awarded 395,495 RSUs to executives and employees that vest in four equal annual installments beginning on the anniversary date of the

original grant or cliff vest after four years. In addition, 35,071 RSUs were earned as dividend equivalents. The RSUs do not carry any voting or dividend rights, except the right to receive additional RSUs in lieu of dividends.

During 2017, we awarded our non-employee directors 47,913 RSUs, which vested immediately. During 2017, we awarded 555,561 RSUs to executives and employees that vest in four equal annual installments beginning on the anniversary date of the original grant or cliff vest after four years. In addition, 38,986 RSUs were earned as dividend equivalents.

During 2016, we awarded our non-employee directors 49,823 RSUs, which vested immediately. During 2016, we awarded 543,664 RSUs to executives and employees that vest in four equal annual installments beginning on the anniversary date of the original grant or cliff vest after four years. In addition, 46,881 RSUs were earned as dividend equivalents.

Compensation Expense

The fair value of RSUs is based on the closing market price on the date of the grant. The compensation expense related to RSUs is amortized ratably over the vesting period, or to the employee's retirement eligible date, if earlier.

During 2018, 2017 and 2016, compensation expense related to RSUs totaled $24.4 million, $23.5 million and $17.4 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, total unrecognized compensation expense related to outstanding RSUs was $40.9 million, which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.6 years.

Performance Shares

The following table summarizes performance stock unit (PSU) activity for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:



	Number of PSUs (in thousands)		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
Unissued as of December 31, 2015	143.4		$	38.69
Granted	401.2		46.27
Vested and issued	—		—
Forfeited	(39.8	)	43.60
Unissued as of December 31, 2016	504.8		$	44.40
Granted	316.1		60.48
Vested and issued	—		—
Forfeited	(22.2	)	53.79
Unissued as of December 31, 2017	798.7		$	50.52
Granted	374.9		62.26
Vested and issued	(150.7	)	39.05
Forfeited	(23.2	)	59.76
Unissued as of December 31, 2018	999.7		$	55.77
Vested and unissued as of December 31, 2018	17.1		$	38.69

During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, we awarded 168,627, 116,872 and 168,786 performance shares (PSUs) to our named executive officers, respectively. These awards are performance-based as the number of shares ultimately earned depends on performance against pre-determined targets for return on invested capital (ROIC), cash flow value creation (CFVC), and total shareholder return relative to the S&P 500 index (RTSR). The PSUs are payable 50% in shares of common stock and 50% in cash after the end of a three-year performance period, when our financial performance for the entire performance period is reported, typically in February of the succeeding year. At the end of the performance period, the number of PSUs awarded can range from 0% to 150% of the targeted amount, depending on the performance against the pre-determined targets.

During the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, we awarded 187,036, 183,908, and 221,958 PSUs to our employees other than our named executive officers, respectively. The PSUs are payable 100% in shares of common stock after the end of a three-year performance period, when our financial performance for the entire performance period is reported, typically in February of the succeeding year. At the end of the performance period, the number of PSUs awarded can range from 0% to 150% of the targeted amount, depending on the performance against the pre-determined targets.

During 2018, 2017 and 2016, 19,204, 15,330, and 10,454 PSUs accumulated as dividend equivalents and are included in the table above as granted. The PSUs do not carry any voting or dividend rights, except the right to accumulate additional PSUs in lieu of dividends.

Compensation Expense

For the stock-settled portion of the award that vests based on future ROIC and CFVC performance, compensation expense is measured using the fair value of our common stock at the grant date. For the cash-settled portion of the award that vests based on future ROIC and CFVC performance, compensation expense is recorded based on the fair value of our common stock at the end of each reporting period. Compensation expense is recognized ratably over the performance period based on our estimated achievement of the established performance criteria. Compensation expense is only recognized for the portion of the award that we expect to vest, which we estimate based on an assessment of the probability that the performance criteria will be achieved.

For the stock-settled portion of the award that vests based on RTSR, the grant date fair value is based on a Monte Carlo valuation and compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. For the cash-settled portion of the award that vests based on RTSR, compensation expense also incorporates the fair value of our PSUs at the end of each reporting period. Compensation expense is recognized for the RTSR portion of the award whether or not the market conditions are achieved.

During 2018, 2017 and 2016, compensation expense related to PSUs totaled $20.3 million, $16.8 million, and $8.6 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, total unrecognized compensation expense related to outstanding PSUs was $19.0 million, which will be recognized over a weighted average period of 0.9 years.

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

We currently have one qualified defined benefit pension plan, the BFI Retirement Plan (the Plan). The Plan covers certain employees in the United States, including some employees subject to collective bargaining agreements.

The Plan benefits are frozen. Interest credits continue to be earned by participants in the Plan, and participants whose collective bargaining agreements provide for additional benefit accruals under the Plan continue to receive those credits in accordance with the terms of their bargaining agreements. The Plan was converted from a traditional defined benefit plan to a cash balance plan in 1993.

Prior to the conversion to the cash balance design, benefits payable as a single life annuity under the Plan were based on the participant’s highest five years of earnings out of the last ten years of service. Upon conversion to the cash balance plan, the existing accrued benefits were converted to a lump-sum value using the actuarial assumptions in effect at the time. Participants’ cash balance accounts are increased until retirement by certain benefit and interest credits under the terms of their bargaining agreements. Participants may elect early retirement with the attainment of age 55 and completion of ten years of credited service at reduced benefits. Participants with 35 years of service may retire at age 62 without any reduction in benefits.

We must separately recognize the overfunded or underfunded status of the Plan as an asset or liability. The funded status represents the difference between the projected benefit obligation (PBO) and the fair value of the Plan assets. The PBO is the present value of benefits earned to date by Plan participants, including the effect of assumed future salary increases, if any. The PBO is equal to the accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) as the Plan is frozen, and the present value of liabilities is not affected by future salary increases. We use a measurement date that coincides with our year end of December 31.

The following table presents the ABO and reconciliations of the changes in the PBO, the Plan assets and the accounting funded status of our defined benefit pension plan for the years ended December 31:



	Defined Benefit Pension Plan
	2018			2017
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	220.7		$	242.8
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	242.8		$	239.1
Interest cost	8.2			9.3
Actuarial (gain) loss	(11.1		)	11.7
Benefits paid	(19.2		)	(17.3		)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	$	220.7		$	242.8
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	256.9		$	245.3
Actual return on plan assets	(6.0		)	30.6
Estimated expenses	(1.6		)	(1.7		)
Benefits paid	(19.2		)	(17.3		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	230.1		$	256.9
Over funded status	$	9.4		$	14.1
Amounts recognized in the statement of financial position consist of:
Noncurrent assets	$	9.4		$	14.1
Net amount recognized	$	9.4		$	14.1
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:
Discount rate	4.21		%	3.55		%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A			N/A

The amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income on the consolidated balance sheets that have not yet been recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 were $24.5 million and $33.3 million, respectively.

The components of the net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31 are summarized below:



	2018			2017			2016
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Interest cost	$	8.2		$	9.3		$	10.1
Expected return on plan assets	(11.3		)	(10.8		)	(11.5		)
Recognized net actuarial (gain)	(1.1		)	(0.4		)	—
Amortization of prior service cost	0.1			0.1			0.1
Net periodic benefit (income)	$	(4.1	)	$	(1.8	)	$	(1.3	)
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate	3.55		%	4.07		%	4.19		%
Expected return on plan assets	5.35		%	5.36		%	5.56		%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A			N/A			N/A

We determine the discount rate used in the measurement of our obligations based on a model that matches the timing and amount of expected benefit payments to maturities of high quality bonds priced as of the Plan measurement date. When that timing does not correspond to a published high-quality bond rate, our model uses an expected yield curve to determine an appropriate current discount rate. The yields on the bonds are used to derive a discount rate for the liability. The term of our obligation, based on the expected retirement dates of our workforce, is approximately seven years.

In developing our expected rate of return assumption, we have evaluated the actual historical performance and long-term return projections of the Plan assets, which give consideration to the asset mix and the anticipated timing of the Plan outflows. We

employ a total return investment approach whereby a mix of equity and fixed income investments are used to maximize the long-term return of Plan assets for what we consider a prudent level of risk. The intent of this strategy is to minimize Plan expenses by outperforming Plan liabilities over the long run. Risk tolerance is established through careful consideration of Plan liabilities, Plan funded status and our financial condition. The investment portfolio contains a diversified blend of equity and fixed income investments. Furthermore, equity investments are diversified across U.S. and non-U.S. stocks as well as growth, value, and small and large capitalizations. Derivatives may be used to gain market exposure in an efficient and timely manner; however, derivatives may not be used to leverage the portfolio beyond the market value of the underlying investments. Investment risk is measured and monitored on an ongoing basis through annual liability measurements, periodic asset and liability studies, and quarterly investment portfolio reviews.

The following table summarizes our target asset allocation as of December 31, 2018 and the actual asset allocation as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 for our Plan:



	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
	Target Asset Allocation		Actual Asset Allocation		Actual Asset Allocation
Debt securities	82	%	83	%	70	%
Equity securities	18		17		30
Total	100	%	100	%	100	%

Asset allocations are reviewed and rebalanced periodically based on funded status. For 2019, the investment strategy for Plan assets is to maintain a broadly diversified portfolio designed to achieve our target of an average long-term rate of return of 5.20%. While we believe we can achieve a long-term average return of 5.20%, we cannot be certain that the portfolio will perform to our expectations. Assets are strategically allocated among debt and equity portfolios to achieve a diversification level that reduces fluctuations in investment returns. Asset allocation target ranges and strategies are reviewed periodically with the assistance of an independent external consulting firm.

The Plan assets are measured at fair value. The following table summarizes, by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the investments of the Plan at fair value as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:



			Fair Value Measurements Using
	Total as of December 31, 2018		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Money market accounts	$	4.0	$	4.0	$	—	$	—
Mutual funds	226.1		—		226.1		—
Total assets	$	230.1	$	4.0	$	226.1	$	—



			Fair Value Measurements Using
	Total as of December 31, 2017		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Money market accounts	$	3.0	$	3.0	$	—	$	—
Mutual funds	253.9		—		253.9		—
Total assets	$	256.9	$	3.0	$	253.9	$	—

Estimated future benefit payments for the next ten years under the Plan follow:



2019	$	20.4
2020	$	19.2
2021	$	18.5
2022	$	18.1
2023	$	17.2
2024 through 2028	$	74.1

Collective Bargaining Agreements

As of December 31, 2018, approximately 24% of our workforce was represented by various labor unions, and approximately 6% of our workforce was covered by collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) that are not set to expire until 2024.

Multiemployer Pension Plans

We contribute to 26 multiemployer pension plans under CBAs covering union-represented employees. As of December 31, 2018, approximately 18% of our total current employees were participants in such multiemployer plans. These plans generally provide retirement benefits to participants based on their service to contributing employers. We do not administer these plans. In general, these plans are managed by a board of trustees with the unions appointing certain trustees and other contributing employers of the plan appointing certain members. We generally are not represented on the board of trustees.

Based on the information available to us, we believe that some of the multiemployer plans to which we contribute are either “critical” or “endangered” as those terms are defined in the Pension Protection Act (PPA). The PPA requires underfunded pension plans to improve their funding ratios within prescribed intervals based on the level of their underfunding. Until the plan trustees develop the funding improvement plans or rehabilitation plans as required by the PPA, we cannot determine the amount of assessments we may be subject to, if any. Accordingly, we cannot presently determine the effect that the PPA may have on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Furthermore, under current law regarding multiemployer benefit plans, a plan’s termination, our voluntary withdrawal (which we consider from time to time), or the mass withdrawal of all contributing employers from any under-funded multiemployer pension plan would require us to make payments to the plan for our proportionate share of the multiemployer plan’s unfunded vested liabilities. It is possible that there may be a mass withdrawal of employers contributing to these plans or plans may terminate in the near future. We could have adjustments to our estimates for these matters in the near term that could have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Republic’s participation in individually significant multiemployer pension plans for the year ended December 31, 2018 is outlined in the table below. Only with respect to multiemployer pension plans, we considered contributions in excess of $2.0 million in any period disclosed to be individually significant. The most recent PPA zone status available in 2018 and 2017 is for the plans’ year ended September 30, or December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. The status is based on information that Republic received from the plans and is certified by the plans’ actuary. Among other factors, plans in the critical red zone are generally less than 65% funded, plans in the endangered yellow zone are less than 80% funded, and plans in the “safe” green zone are at least 80% funded. Plans in the critical and declining zone are classified as critical and projected to be insolvent in the current year or any of the 14 following plan years. The last column lists the expiration dates of the CBAs to which the plans are subject. There have been no significant changes that affect the comparability of the 2018, 2017 and 2016 contributions.



		Pension Protection Act Zone Status		Funding Improvement or Rehabilitation Plan Status Pending /	Republic Contributions to Plan						Surcharge	Expiration Dates
Legal Plan Name	EIN	2017	2016	Implemented	2018		2017		2016		Imposed	of CBAs
Local 731 Private Scavengers and Garage Attendants Pension Trust Fund	36-6513567	Safe	Safe	Implemented	$	9.7	$	10.2	$	9.3	No	Various dates through 9/30/23
Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan	91-6145047	Safe	Safe	No	44.3		39.5		36.3		No	Various dates through 3/31/23
New England Teamsters & Trucking Industry Pension	04-6372430	Critical and Declining	Critical and Declining	Implemented	3.2		3.2		2.8		No	06/30/20
Midwest Operating Engineers Pension Fund	36-6140097	Endangered	Endangered	Implemented	2.1		2.2		2.0		No	Various dates through 5/31/21
Individually significant plans					59.3		55.1		50.4
All other plans	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	10.1		9.6		9.3		N/A
Total					$	69.4	$	64.7	$	59.7

We are listed in the Form 5500 for Local 731 Private Scavengers and Garage Attendants Pension Trust Fund as providing more than 5% of the total contributions. At the date these financial statements were issued, Forms 5500 were not available for the plan years ended in 2018.

Defined Contribution Plan

We maintain the Republic Services 401(k) Plan (the 401(k) Plan), which is a defined contribution plan covering all eligible employees. Under the 401(k) Plan, participants may direct us to defer a portion of their compensation to the 401(k) Plan, subject to Internal Revenue Code limitations. We provide for an employer matching contribution equal to 100% of the first 3% of eligible compensation and 50% of the next 2% of eligible compensation contributed by each employee, which is funded in cash. All contributions vest immediately.

Total expense recorded for matching 401(k) contributions in 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $51.7 million, $46.8 million and $40.9 million, respectively.

Deferred Compensation Plan

We provide eligible Republic employees, officers and directors with the opportunity to voluntarily defer base salary, bonus payments, long-term incentive awards and other compensation, as applicable, on a pre-tax basis through the Republic Services, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan (the DCP). The DCP is a nonqualified deferred compensation plan that conforms to Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. Eligible participants can defer up to 80% of base salary and up to 100% of bonus, long-term compensation and directors’ fees. Under the DCP, some participants also are eligible for matching contributions. The matching contribution under the DCP is equal to the lesser of 2% of the participant’s compensation over established 401(k) limits or 50% of the amount the participant has deferred. The DCP participants have no ownership or security interest in any of the amounts deferred or the measurement funds under the DCP. The right of each participant in the DCP is solely that of a general, unsecured creditor of Republic with respect to his or her own interest under the DCP. Deferred amounts may be subject to forfeiture and are deemed invested among investment funds offered under the DCP, as directed by each participant. Payments of deferred amounts are payable following separation from service or at a date or dates elected by the participant when the deferral is elected. Payments of deferred amounts are made in either a lump sum or in annual installments over a period not exceeding 15 years.

Republic invested in corporate-owned life insurance policies to satisfy future obligations under the DCP. These corporate-owned life insurance policies are held in a Rabbi Trust and are recorded at the amount that can be realized under insurance contracts at the balance sheet date, which is the cash surrender value adjusted for other charges or other amounts due that are probable at settlement. The aggregate cash surrender value of these life insurance policies was $100.0 million and $99.9 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is classified in other assets in our consolidated balance sheets. The DCP liability was $96.0 million and $97.9 million as of December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and is classified in other long-term liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets.

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Republic employees are eligible to participate in an employee stock purchase plan. The plan allows participants to purchase our common stock for 95% of its quoted market price on the last day of each calendar quarter. For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, issuances under this plan totaled 117,153 shares, 113,941 shares and 130,085 shares, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, shares reserved for issuance to employees under this plan totaled 2.9 million and Republic held employee contributions of approximately $1.9 million for the purchase of common stock.

Share Repurchases and Dividends

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Share Repurchases and Dividends

SHARE REPURCHASES AND DIVIDENDS

Share Repurchases

Share repurchase activity during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 follows (in millions except per share amounts):



	2018		2017
Number of shares repurchased	10.7		9.6
Amount paid	$	736.9	$	610.7
Weighted average cost per share	$	69.06	$	63.84

As of December 31, 2018, there were no repurchased shares pending settlement.

In October 2017, our Board of Directors added $2.0 billion to the existing share repurchase authorization that now extends through December 31, 2020. Share repurchases under the program may be made through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions in accordance with applicable federal securities laws. While the Board of Directors has approved the program, the timing of any purchases, the prices and the number of shares of common stock to be purchased will be determined by our management, at its discretion, and will depend upon market conditions and other factors. The share repurchase program may be extended, suspended or discontinued at any time. As of December 31, 2018, the remaining authorized purchase capacity under our October 2017 repurchase program was $1.1 billion.

Dividends

In October 2018, our Board of Directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.375 per share. Cash dividends declared were $468.4 million, $446.3 million and $423.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. As of December 31, 2018, we recorded a quarterly dividend payable of $121.0 million to shareholders of record at the close of business on January 2, 2019.

Earnings Per Share

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share

EARNINGS PER SHARE

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc. by the weighted average number of common shares (including vested but unissued RSUs) outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is based on the combined weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding, which include, where appropriate, the assumed exercise of employee stock options, unvested RSUs and unvested PSUs at the expected attainment levels. We use the treasury stock method in computing diluted earnings per share.

Earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 are calculated as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):



	2018		2017		2016
Basic earnings per share:
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$	1,036,898	$	1,278,374	$	612,588
Weighted average common shares outstanding	326,897		337,051		343,024
Basic earnings per share	$	3.17	$	3.79	$	1.79
Diluted earnings per share:
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$	1,036,898	$	1,278,374	$	612,588
Weighted average common shares outstanding	326,897		337,051		343,024
Effect of dilutive securities:
Options to purchase common stock	745		1,246		1,076
Unvested RSU awards	250		346		190
Unvested PSU awards	491		338		100
Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding	328,383		338,981		344,390
Diluted earnings per share	$	3.16	$	3.77	$	1.78

There were no antidilutive securities during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016.

Segment Reporting

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Reporting

SEGMENT REPORTING

Our senior management evaluates, oversees and manages the financial performance of our operations through two field groups, referred to as Group 1 and Group 2. Group 1 primarily consists of geographic areas located in the western United States, and Group 2 primarily consists of geographic areas located in the southeastern and mid-western United States, and the eastern seaboard of the United States. These two groups are presented below as our reportable segments, which provide integrated waste management services consisting of non-hazardous solid waste collection, transfer, recycling, disposal and energy services.

Summarized financial information concerning our reportable segments for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 follows:



	Gross Revenue		Intercompany Revenue			Net Revenue		Depreciation, Amortization, Depletion and Accretion		Operating Income (Loss)			Capital Expenditures		Total Assets
2018:
Group 1	$	5,789.9	$	(978.0	)	$	4,811.9	$	484.9	$	1,156.9		$	457.0	$	11,011.5
Group 2	5,928.0		(857.0		)	5,071.0		493.7		938.5			515.8		8,999.6
Corporate entities	174.0		(16.0		)	158.0		135.5		(359.6		)	99.0		1,605.9
Total	$	11,891.9	$	(1,851.0	)	$	10,040.9	$	1,114.1	$	1,735.8		$	1,071.8	$	21,617.0
2017:
Group 1	$	5,961.3	$	(1,085.0	)	$	4,876.3	$	477.1	$	1,135.1		$	530.4	$	9,934.3
Group 2	5,844.8		(928.4		)	4,916.4		508.8		945.9			362.9		9,655.4
Corporate entities	265.0		(16.2		)	248.8		130.2		(412.5		)	96.5		1,557.3
Total	$	12,071.1	$	(2,029.6	)	$	10,041.5	$	1,116.1	$	1,668.5		$	989.8	$	21,147.0
2016:
Group 1	$	5,601.3	$	(1,040.4	)	$	4,560.9	$	462.3	$	1,059.4		$	416.2	$	9,747.6
Group 2	5,551.6		(913.7		)	4,637.9		490.8		863.0			375.1		9,349.7
Corporate entities	202.5		(13.6		)	188.9		117.1		(384.9		)	136.5		1,532.3
Total	$	11,355.4	$	(1,967.7	)	$	9,387.7	$	1,070.2	$	1,537.5		$	927.8	$	20,629.6

Financial information for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 reflects the transfer of certain areas between our two field groups.

Intercompany revenue reflects transactions within and between segments that generally are made on a basis intended to reflect the market value of such services. Capital expenditures for corporate entities primarily include vehicle inventory acquired but not yet assigned to operating locations and facilities. Corporate functions include legal, tax, treasury, information technology, risk management, human resources, closed landfills and other administrative functions.

Revenue

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue

REVENUE

Our operations primarily consist of providing collection, transfer and disposal of non-hazardous solid waste, recovering and recycling of certain materials, and energy services. The following table disaggregates our revenue by service line for the years ended December 31 (in millions of dollars and as a percentage of revenue):



	2018					2017					2016
Collection:
Residential	$	2,235.1		22.3	%	$	2,285.7		22.8	%	$	2,239.7		23.9	%
Small-container	3,057.5			30.5		2,995.6			29.8		2,877.5			30.7
Large-container	2,181.1			21.7		2,087.9			20.8		1,975.8			21.0
Other	43.8			0.4		44.2			0.4		38.2			0.4
Total collection ⁽¹⁾	7,517.5			74.9		7,413.4			73.8		7,131.2			76.0
Transfer	1,243.9					1,209.5					1,157.6
Less: intercompany	(706.4		)			(703.8		)			(694.1		)
Transfer, net	537.5			5.4		505.7			5.0		463.5			4.9
Landfill	2,291.7					2,224.3					2,083.6
Less: intercompany	(1,020.8		)			(985.5		)			(962.4		)
Landfill, net	1,270.9			12.7		1,238.8			12.3		1,121.2			11.9
Energy services	194.7			1.9		149.0			1.5		76.4			0.8
Other:
Recycling processing and commodity sales⁽²⁾	298.0			3.0		539.2			5.4		420.4			4.5
Other non-core	222.3			2.1		195.4			2.0		175.0			1.9
Total other	520.3			5.1		734.6			7.4		595.4			6.4
Total revenue	$	10,040.9		100.0	%	$	10,041.5		100.0	%	$	9,387.7		100.0	%

(1) In accordance with our adoption of the new revenue recognition standard, municipal franchise fees were presented as a reduction to revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018. Similar fees were presented as a cost of operations for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

(2) In accordance with our adoption of the new revenue recognition standard, rebates paid to customers associated with recycled commodities were presented as a reduction to revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018. Similar costs were presented as a cost of operations for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016.

Other non-core revenue consists primarily of revenue from National Accounts, which represents the portion of revenue generated from nationwide or regional contracts in markets outside our operating areas where the associated waste handling services are subcontracted to local operators. Consequently, substantially all of this revenue is offset with related subcontract costs, which are recorded in cost of operations.

The factors that impact the timing and amount of revenue recognized for each service line may vary based on the nature of the service performed. Generally, we recognize revenue at the time we perform a service. In the event that we bill for services in advance of performance, we recognize deferred revenue for the amount billed and subsequently recognize revenue at the time the service is provided. Depending upon the nature of the contract, we may also generate revenue through the collection of fuel recovery fees and environmental fees which are designed to recover our internal costs of providing services to our customers.

See Note 14, Segment Reporting, for additional information regarding revenue by reportable segment.

Revenue by Service Line

Collection Services

Our collection business involves the collection of waste for transport to transfer stations, or directly to landfills or recycling processing centers. Our solid waste collection services business includes both recurring and temporary customer relationships. Our standard contract duration is three years, although some of our exclusive franchises are for significantly longer periods. The fees received for collection services are based primarily on the market, collection frequency, type of service, type and volume or weight of the waste collected, the distance to the disposal facility and the cost of disposal.

In general, small-container and residential collection fees are billed monthly or quarterly in advance. Substantially all of the deferred revenue recognized as of December 31, 2017 was recognized as revenue during the year ended December 31, 2018 when the service was performed. Our large-container customers are typically billed on a monthly basis based on the nature of the services provided during the period.

Revenue recognized under these agreements is variable in nature based on the number of residential homes or businesses serviced during the period, the frequency of collection and the volume of waste collected. In addition, certain of our contracts have annual price escalation clauses that are tied to changes in an underlying base index such as a consumer price index which are unknown at contract inception.

Transfer Services

Revenue at our transfer stations is primarily generated by charging tipping or disposal fees. The fees received for transfer services are based primarily on the market, type and volume or weight of the waste accepted, the distance to the disposal facility and the cost of disposal. In general, fees are billed and revenue is recognized at the time the service is performed. Revenue recognized under these agreements is variable in nature based on the volume of waste accepted at the transfer station.

Landfill Services

Revenue at our landfills is primarily generated by charging tipping fees to third parties based on the volume disposed and the nature of the waste. In general, fees are variable in nature and revenue is recognized at the time the waste is disposed at the facility.

Energy Services

Energy Services revenue is primarily generated through waste managed from vertical and horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, production and clean-up activity, as well as other services including closed loop collection systems and the sale of recovered products. Energy services activity varies across market areas that are tied to the natural resource basins in which the drilling activity occurs and reflects the regulatory environment, pricing and disposal alternatives available in any given market. Revenue recognized under these agreements is variable in nature based on the volume of waste accepted or processed during the period.

Recycling Processing and Commodity Sales

Our recycling processing centers generate revenue through the processing and sale of old corrugated cardboard (OCC), old newsprint (ONP), aluminum, glass and other materials at market prices. In certain instances, we issue recycling rebates to our municipal or large-container customers, which can be based on the price we receive upon the final sale of recycled commodities, a fixed contractual rate or other measures. We also receive rebates when we dispose of recycled commodities at third-party facilities. The fees received are based primarily on the market, type and volume or weight of the materials sold. In general, fees are billed and revenue is recognized at the time title is transferred. Revenue recognized under these agreements is variable in nature based on the volume and type of materials sold. In addition, the amount of revenue recognized is based on commodity prices at the time of sale, which are unknown at contract inception.

Revenue Recognition

Our service obligations of a long-term nature, e.g., solid waste collection service contracts, are satisfied over time, and we recognize revenue based on the value provided to the customer during the period. The amount billed to the customer is based on variable elements such as the number of residential homes or businesses for which collection services are provided, the volume of waste collected, transported and disposed, and the nature of the waste accepted. We do not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations for these contracts as our right to consideration corresponds directly to the value provided to the customer for services completed to date and all future variable consideration is allocated to wholly unsatisfied performance obligations.

Additionally, certain elements of our long-term customer contracts are unknown upon entering into the contract, including the amount that will be billed in accordance with annual price escalation clauses, our fuel recovery fee program and commodity prices. The amount to be billed is often tied to changes in an underlying base index such as a consumer price index or a fuel or commodity index, and revenue can be recognized once the index is established for the period.

Deferred Contract Costs

We incur certain upfront payments to acquire customer contracts which are recognized as other assets in our consolidated balance sheet, and we amortize the asset over the respective contract life. In addition, we recognize sales commissions that represent an incremental cost of the contract as other assets in our consolidated balance sheet, and we amortize the asset over the average life of the customer relationship. As of December 31, 2018, we recognized $89.2 million of deferred contract costs and capitalized sales commissions. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we amortized $11.1 million of capitalized sales commissions to selling, general and administrative expenses and $5.9 million of other deferred contract costs as a reduction of revenue.

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component

CHANGES IN ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) BY COMPONENT

A summary of changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, by component, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 follows:



	Cash Flow Hedges			Defined Benefit Pension Plan			Total
Balance as of December 31, 2015	$	(41.6	)	$	11.1		$	(30.5	)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	11.8			6.4			18.2
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	26.5			—			26.5
Net current period other comprehensive income	38.3			6.4			44.7
Balance as of December 31, 2016	(3.3		)	17.5			14.2
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(0.6		)	3.7			3.1
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	5.3			—			5.3
Net current period other comprehensive income	4.7			3.7			8.4
Balance as of December 31, 2017	1.4			21.2			22.6
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	18.5			(6.5		)	12.0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	(3.8		)	—			(3.8		)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	14.7			(6.5		)	8.2
Balance as of December 31, 2018	$	16.1		$	14.7		$	30.8

A summary of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 follows:



	Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Components	2018			2017			2016			Affected Line Item in the Statement Where Net Income is Presented
Gain (loss) on cash flow hedges:
Recycling commodity hedges	$	1.1		$	(2.8	)	$	—		Revenue
Fuel hedges	4.3			(3.3		)	(34.1		)	Cost of operations
Terminated interest rate locks	(0.3		)	(2.7		)	(9.8		)	Interest expense
	5.1			(8.8		)	(43.9		)	Total before tax
	(1.3		)	3.5			17.4			Tax (expense) benefit
	3.8			(5.3		)	(26.5		)	Net of tax
Total gain (loss) reclassified into earnings	$	3.8		$	(5.3	)	$	(26.5	)

Financial Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Financial Instruments

FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Fuel Hedges

We have historically entered into multiple swap agreements designated as cash flow hedges to mitigate some of our exposure related to changes in diesel fuel prices. These swaps qualified for, and were designated as, effective hedges of changes in the prices of forecasted diesel fuel purchases (fuel hedges).

If the national U.S. on-highway average price for a gallon of diesel fuel as published by the Department of Energy exceeds the contract price per gallon, we receive the difference between the average price and the contract price (multiplied by the notional gallons) from the counterparty. If the average price is less than the contract price per gallon, we pay the difference to the counterparty.

The fair values of our fuel hedges are determined using standard option valuation models with assumptions about commodity prices based on those observed in underlying markets (Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy).

All of our fuel hedges settled on or before December 31, 2018, thus there is no related asset or liability as of December 31, 2018. The aggregate fair value of the outstanding fuel hedges as of December 31, 2017 was $3.0 million and was recorded in other current assets in our consolidated balance sheets. The ineffective portion of the changes in fair values was zero for the year ended December 31, 2018. The ineffective portions of the changes in fair values resulted in a gain of $0.1 million and $0.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively, and have been recorded in other income, net in our consolidated statement of income.

Total (loss) gains recognized in other comprehensive income for fuel hedges (the effective portion) was $(1.8) million, $3.4 million and $20.7 million, net of tax, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We classify cash inflows and outflows from our fuel hedges within operating activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows.

Recycling Commodity Hedges

Revenue from the sale of recycled commodities is primarily from sales of OCC and ONP. From time to time we use derivative instruments such as swaps and costless collars designated as cash flow hedges to manage our exposure to changes in prices of these commodities. During 2017, we entered into multiple costless collar agreements on forecasted OCC sales. The agreements qualified for, and were designated as, effective hedges of changes in the prices of certain forecasted recycling commodity sales (commodity hedges). The agreements involve combining a purchased put option giving us the right to sell OCC at an established floor strike price with a written call option obligating us to deliver OCC at an established cap strike price. The puts and calls have the same settlement dates, are net settled in cash on such dates and have the same terms to expiration. The contemporaneous combination of options resulted in no net premium for us and represents costless collars. Under these agreements, we will make or receive no payments as long as the settlement price is between the floor price and cap price; however, if the settlement price is above the cap, we will pay the counterparty an amount equal to the excess of the settlement price over the cap times the monthly volumes hedged. If the settlement price is below the floor, the counterparty will pay us the deficit of the settlement price below the floor times the monthly volumes hedged. The objective of these agreements is to reduce variability of cash flows for forecasted sales of OCC between two designated strike prices.

Costless collar hedges are recorded in our consolidated balance sheets at fair value. Fair values of costless collars are determined using standard option valuation models with assumptions about commodity prices based upon forward commodity price curves in underlying markets (Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy).

All of our costless collar hedges for OCC settled on or before December 31, 2018, thus there is no related asset or liability as of December 31, 2018. The aggregate fair value of the outstanding recycling commodity hedges as of December 31, 2017 was $0.2 million and was recorded in other accrued liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. No amounts were recognized in other income, net in our consolidated statement of income for the ineffective portion of the changes in fair values during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016.

Total gains (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income for recycling commodity hedges (the effective portion) were $0.1 million, $0.4 million, and $(0.5) million, net of tax, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We classify cash inflows and outflows from our recycling commodity hedges within operating activities in the consolidated statement of cash flows.

Fair Value Measurements

In measuring fair values of assets and liabilities, we use valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs (Level 1) and minimize the use of unobservable inputs (Level 3). We also use market data or assumptions that we believe market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, including assumptions about risk when appropriate.

The carrying value for certain of our financial instruments, including cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and certain other accrued liabilities, approximates fair value because of their short-term nature.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis include the following:



	December 31, 2018
			Fair Value
	Carrying Amount		Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	$	37.1	$	37.1	$	37.1	$	—	$	—
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	47.8		47.8		—		47.8		—
Interest rate swaps - other assets	2.5		2.5		—		2.5		—
Interest rate locks - other assets	10.3		10.3		—		10.3		—
Total assets	$	97.7	$	97.7	$	37.1	$	60.6	$	—
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	$	70.9	$	70.9	$	—	$	—	$	70.9
Total liabilities	$	70.9	$	70.9	$	—	$	—	$	70.9



	December 31, 2017
			Fair Value
	Carrying Amount		Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	$	30.3	$	30.3	$	30.3	$	—	$	—
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	92.1		92.1		—		92.1		—
Fuel hedges - other current assets	3.0		3.0		—		3.0		—
Interest rate swaps - other assets	8.0		8.0		—		8.0		—
Interest rate locks - other assets	19.1		19.1		—		19.1		—
Total assets	$	152.5	$	152.5	$	30.3	$	122.2	$	—
Liabilities:
Commodity hedges - other accrued liabilities	$	0.2	$	0.2	$	—	$	0.2	$	—
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	73.3		73.3		—		—		73.3
Total liabilities	$	73.5	$	73.5	$	—	$	0.2	$	73.3

Total Debt

As of December 31, 2018, the carrying value of our total debt was $8.3 billion and the fair value of our total debt was $8.7 billion. As of December 31, 2017, the carrying value of our total debt was $8.2 billion and the fair value of our total debt was $8.8 billion. The estimated fair value of our fixed rate senior notes and debentures is based on quoted market prices. The fair value of our remaining notes payable, tax-exempt financings and borrowings under our credit facilities approximates the carrying value because the interest rates are variable. The fair value estimates are based on Level 2 inputs of the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017. See Note 9, Debt, for further information related to our debt.

Contingent Consideration

In April 2015, we entered into a waste management contract with the County of Sonoma, California to operate the county's waste management facilities. As of December 31, 2018, the Sonoma contingent consideration represents the fair value of $67.0 million payable to the County of Sonoma based on the achievement of future annual tonnage targets through the expected remaining capacity of the landfill, which we estimate to be approximately 30 years. The potential undiscounted amount of all future contingent payments that we could be required to make under the waste management contract is estimated to be between approximately $82 million and $171 million. During 2018, the activity in the contingent consideration liability included accretion, which was offset by concession payments made in the ordinary course of business. There were no changes to the estimate of fair value.

The fair value of the contingent consideration was determined using probability assessments of the expected future consideration payments over the remaining useful life of the landfill, and applying a discount rate of 4.0%. The future consideration payments are based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market. Key assumptions include volume of annual tons disposed at the landfill, price paid per annual ton, and the discount rate that represent the best estimates of management, which are subject to remeasurement at each reporting date based on inbound tonnage. The contingent consideration liability is classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

In 2017, we recognized additional contingent consideration associated with the acquisition of a landfill. As of December 31, 2018, the contingent consideration of $4.4 million represents the fair value of amounts payable to the seller based on annual volume of tons disposed at the landfill. During 2018, the activity in the contingent consideration liability included accretion, which was offset by concession payments made in the ordinary course of business. There were no changes to the estimate of fair value.

The fair value of the contingent consideration was determined using probability assessments of the expected future payments over the remaining useful life of the landfill, and applying a discount rate of 4.3%. The future payments are based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market. Key assumptions include annual volume of tons disposed at the landfill, which are subject to remeasurement at each reporting date based on inbound tonnage. The contingent consideration liabilities are classified within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Legal Proceedings

We are subject to extensive and evolving laws and regulations and have implemented safeguards to respond to regulatory requirements. In the normal course of our business, we become involved in legal proceedings. Some may result in fines, penalties or judgments against us, or settlements, which may impact earnings and cash flows for a particular period. Although we cannot predict the ultimate outcome of any legal matter with certainty, we do not believe the outcome of any of our pending legal proceedings will have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

As used herein, the term legal proceedings refers to litigation and similar claims against us and our subsidiaries, excluding: (1) ordinary course accidents, general commercial liability and workers' compensation claims, which are covered by insurance programs, subject to customary deductibles, and which, together with insured employee health care costs, are discussed in Note 7, Other Liabilities; and (2) environmental remediation liabilities, which are discussed in Note 8, Landfill and Environmental Costs.

We accrue for legal proceedings when losses become probable and reasonably estimable. We have recorded an aggregate accrual of approximately $23 million relating to our outstanding legal proceedings as of December 31, 2018. As of the end of each applicable reporting period, we review each of our legal proceedings and, where it is probable that a liability has been incurred, we accrue for all probable and reasonably estimable losses. Where we can reasonably estimate a range of losses we may incur regarding such a matter, we record an accrual for the amount within the range that constitutes our best estimate. If we can reasonably estimate a range but no amount within the range appears to be a better estimate than any other, we use the amount that is the low end of such range. If we had used the high ends of such ranges, our aggregate potential liability would be approximately $14 million higher than the amount recorded as of December 31, 2018.

Lease Commitments

We and our subsidiaries lease real property, equipment and software under various operating leases with remaining terms from one month to 16 years. Rent expense during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $87.9 million, $72.9 million and $56.8 million, respectively.

Future minimum lease obligations under non-cancelable operating leases with initial terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2018 are as follows:



2019	$	38.7
2020	35.1
2021	32.1
2022	27.7
2023	26.2
Thereafter	129.2
	$	289.0

Unconditional Purchase Commitments

Royalties

We have entered into agreements to pay royalties to prior landowners, lessors or host communities, based on, among other things, revenue received and waste tonnage disposed at specified landfills. These royalties are generally payable quarterly and amounts incurred, but not paid, are accrued in our consolidated balance sheets. Royalties are accrued as revenue is received or tonnage is disposed of, as applicable, in the landfills.

Disposal Agreements

We have several agreements that require us to dispose of a minimum number of tons at third-party disposal facilities. Under these put-or-pay agreements, we must pay for agreed-upon minimum volumes regardless of the actual number of tons placed at the facilities.

Our unconditional purchase commitments have varying expiration dates, with some extending through the remaining life of the respective landfill. Future minimum payments under unconditional purchase commitments, consisting primarily of (1) disposal related agreements, which include fixed or minimum royalty payments, host agreements, and take-or-pay and put-or-pay agreements, and (2) other obligations including committed capital expenditures and consulting service agreements as of December 31, 2018 are as follows:



2019	$	350.8
2020	83.0
2021	46.1
2022	38.5
2023	30.8
Thereafter	341.6
	$	890.8

Restricted Cash and Other Financial Guarantees

We must provide financial assurance to governmental agencies and a variety of other entities under applicable environmental regulations relating to our landfill operations for capping, closure and post-closure costs, and our performance under certain collection, landfill and transfer station contracts. We satisfy our financial assurance requirements by providing surety bonds, letters of credit, insurance policies or trust deposits. The amount of the financial assurance requirements for capping, closure and post-closure costs is determined by applicable state environmental regulations, which vary by state. The financial assurance requirements for capping, closure and post-closure costs can either be for costs associated with a portion of the landfill or the entire landfill. Generally, states will require a third-party engineering specialist to determine the estimated capping, closure and post-closure costs that are used to determine the required amount of financial assurance for a landfill. The amount of financial assurance required can, and generally will, differ from the obligation determined and recorded under U.S. GAAP. The amount of the financial assurance requirements related to contract performance varies by contract. Additionally, we are required to provide financial assurance for our insurance program and collateral for certain performance obligations.

We had the following financial instruments and collateral in place to secure our financial assurances as of December 31:



	2018		2017
Letters of credit	$	474.2	$	490.3
Surety bonds	3,418.5		3,307.3

The outstanding letters of credit used $379.6 million of availability under our Credit Facility as of December 31, 2018 and $462.7 million of availability under our Replaced Credit Facilities as of December 31, 2017. Surety bonds subject to expiration will expire on various dates through 2026.

These financial instruments are issued in the normal course of business and are not debt. Because we currently have no liability for this financial assurance, it is not reflected in our consolidated balance sheets. However, we have recorded capping, closure and post-closure obligations and insurance reserves as they are incurred.

Our restricted cash and marketable securities include, among other things, restricted cash and marketable securities held for capital expenditures under certain debt facilities, restricted cash pursuant to a holdback arrangement, restricted cash and marketable securities pledged to regulatory agencies and governmental entities as financial guarantees of our performance under certain collection, landfill and transfer station contracts and permits, and relating to our final capping, closure and post-closure obligations at our landfills, and restricted cash and marketable securities related to our insurance obligations.

The following table summarizes our restricted cash and marketable securities as of December 31:



	2018		2017
Financing proceeds	$	—	$	38.6
Capping, closure and post-closure obligations	29.5		28.6
Insurance	78.6		71.4
Other	—		2.5
Total restricted cash and marketable securities	$	108.1	$	141.1

We own a 19.9% interest in a company that, among other activities, issues financial surety bonds to secure capping, closure and post-closure obligations for companies operating in the solid waste industry. We account for this investment under the cost method of accounting. There have been no identified events or changes in circumstances that may have a significant adverse effect on the recoverability of this investment. This investee company and the parent company of the investee had written surety bonds for us relating primarily to our landfill operations for capping, closure and post-closure, of which $1,366.1 million were outstanding as of December 31, 2018. Our reimbursement obligations under these bonds are secured by an indemnity agreement with the investee and letters of credit. There were no letters of credit outstanding as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 associated with these reimbursement obligations.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have no off-balance sheet debt or similar obligations, other than operating leases and the financial assurances discussed above, which are not classified as debt. We have no transactions or obligations with related parties that are not disclosed, consolidated into or reflected in our reported financial position or results of operations. We have not guaranteed any third-party debt.

Guarantees

We enter into contracts in the normal course of business that include indemnification clauses. Indemnifications relating to known liabilities are recorded in the consolidated financial statements based on our best estimate of required future payments. Certain of these indemnifications relate to contingent events or occurrences, such as the imposition of additional taxes due to a change in the tax law or adverse interpretation of the tax law, and indemnifications made in divestiture agreements where we indemnify the buyer for liabilities that relate to our activities prior to the divestiture and that may become known in the future. We do not believe that these contingent obligations will have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

We have entered into agreements with property owners to guarantee the value of property that is adjacent to certain of our landfills. These agreements have varying terms. We do not believe that these contingent obligations will have a material effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Other Matters

Our business activities are conducted in the context of a developing and changing statutory and regulatory framework. Governmental regulation of the waste management industry requires us to obtain and retain numerous governmental permits to conduct various aspects of our operations. These permits are subject to revocation, modification or denial. The costs and other capital expenditures that may be required to obtain or retain the applicable permits or comply with applicable regulations could be significant. Any revocation, modification or denial of permits could have a material adverse effect on us.

Selected Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Selected Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited)

SELECTED QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited)

The following table summarizes our unaudited consolidated quarterly results of operations as reported for 2018 and 2017:



	First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
2018:
Revenue ⁽¹⁾	$	2,427.5	$	2,517.8	$	2,565.7	$	2,530.0
Operating income ⁽¹⁾	404.2		408.2		440.3		483.3
Net income	237.9		235.7		262.9		301.1
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc. ⁽¹⁾	237.7		234.9		263.4		301.0
Diluted earnings per common share	0.72		0.71		0.81		0.92
2017:
Revenue ⁽²⁾	$	2,392.8	$	2,526.7	$	2,562.0	$	2,560.0
Operating income	388.1		425.5		448.1		406.8
Net income	187.8		203.4		223.3		664.5
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc. ⁽¹⁾	187.8		202.9		223.2		664.4
Diluted earnings per common share ⁽¹⁾	0.55		0.60		0.66		1.98

(1) Line items in these rows do not total to amounts reported in the consolidated statement of income due to rounding.

(2) In accordance with our adoption of the new revenue recognition standard, municipal franchise fees and rebates paid to customers associated with recycled commodities were presented as a reduction to revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018. Similar fees were presented as a cost of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, we recorded a reduction to remediation expense of $40.0 million related to an insurance recovery at our closed Bridgeton Landfill.

On December 22, 2017 the Tax Act was enacted. Accordingly, we re-measured our deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future. The provisional amount recorded in the fourth quarter of 2017 reduced our tax provision by approximately $464 million. For discussion and detail regarding the impact of the Tax Act on our income taxes, refer to Note 10, Income Taxes, included herein.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Management's Estimates and Assumptions

Management’s Estimates and AssumptionsIn preparing our financial statements, we make numerous estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in these financial statements and accompanying notes. We must make these estimates and assumptions because certain information we use is dependent on future events, cannot be calculated with a high degree of precision from data available or simply cannot be readily calculated based on generally accepted methodologies. In preparing our financial statements, the more critical and subjective areas that deal with the greatest amount of uncertainty relate to our accounting for our long-lived assets, including recoverability, landfill development costs, and final capping, closure and post-closure costs; our valuation allowances for accounts receivable and deferred tax assets; our liabilities for potential litigation, claims and assessments; our liabilities for environmental remediation, multiemployer pension plans, employee benefit plans, deferred taxes, uncertain tax positions, and insurance reserves; and our estimates of the fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in any acquisition. Each of these items is discussed in more detail elsewhere in these Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Our actual results may differ significantly from our estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

We consider liquid investments with a maturity at the date of acquisition of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Concentration of Credit RiskFinancial instruments that potentially subject us to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash and cash equivalents, trade accounts receivable and derivative instruments. We place our cash and cash equivalents with high quality financial institutions. Such balances may be in excess of FDIC insured limits. To manage the related credit exposure, we continually monitor the credit worthiness of the financial institutions where we have deposits. Concentrations of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable are limited due to the wide variety of customers and markets in which we provide services, as well as the dispersion of our operations across many geographic areas. We provide services to small-container, large-container, municipal and residential, and energy services customers in the United States and Puerto Rico. We perform ongoing credit evaluations of our customers, but generally do not require collateral to support customer receivables. We establish an allowance for doubtful accounts based on various factors including the credit risk of specific customers, age of receivables outstanding, historical trends, economic conditions and other information.

Accounts Receivable, Net

Accounts Receivable, Net Accounts receivable represent receivables from customers for collection, transfer, recycling, disposal, energy services and other services. Our receivables are recorded when billed or when the related revenue is earned and represent claims against third parties that will be settled in cash. The carrying value of our receivables, net of the allowance for doubtful accounts and customer credits, represents their estimated net realizable value. Provisions for doubtful accounts are evaluated on a monthly basis and are recorded based on our historical collection experience, the age of the receivables, specific customer information and economic conditions. We also review outstanding balances on an account-specific basis. In general, reserves are provided for accounts receivable in excess of 90 days outstanding. Past due receivable balances are written-off when our collection efforts have been unsuccessful in collecting amounts due.

Restricted Cash and Marketable Securities

Property and Equipment




Buildings and improvements	7 - 40 years
Vehicles	5 - 12 years
Landfill equipment	5 - 7 years
Other equipment	3 - 20 years
Furniture and fixtures	10 years

Capitalized Interest

We capitalize interest on landfill cell construction and other construction or development projects if they meet the following criteria:


•	Total construction costs are $50,000 or greater;


•	The construction phase is one month or longer; and


•	The assets have a useful life of one year or longer.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments


•	Level 1 – inputs are based upon unadjusted quoted prices for identical instruments traded in active markets.


•	Level 2 – inputs are based upon quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the market or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

•

Level 3 – inputs are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimates of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The fair values are therefore determined using model-based techniques that include option pricing models, discounted cash flow models, and similar techniques.

Investments Other Than Derivatives

Investments Other Than DerivativesInvestments other than derivatives primarily include money market funds, common stock, mutual funds, real estate investment trusts, U.S. government and agency securities, municipal and corporate bonds, and foreign government bonds. In general, and where applicable, we use quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities to determine fair value. This pricing methodology applies to our Level 1 investments, such as money market funds, common stock and certain mutual funds. If quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities are not available to determine fair value, then we use quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities or inputs other than the quoted prices that are observable either directly or indirectly. These investments are included in Level 2 and consist primarily of corporate bonds, foreign government bonds, real estate investment trusts and certain agency securities.

Derivative Financial Instruments

Landfill and Environmental Costs

Life Cycle Accounting

Probable Expansion Airspace


•	We own the land associated with the expansion airspace or control it pursuant to an option agreement;


•	We are committed to supporting the expansion project financially and with appropriate resources;


•	There are no identified fatal flaws or impediments associated with the project, including political impediments;


•	Progress is being made on the project;


•	The expansion is attainable within a reasonable time frame; and


•	We believe it is likely the expansion permit will be received.

We have identified three steps that landfills generally follow to obtain expansion permits. These steps are as follows:


•	Obtaining approval from local authorities;


•	Submitting a permit application to state authorities; and


•	Obtaining permit approval from state authorities.

Capitalized Landfill Costs

Final Capping, Closure and Post-Closure Costs & Environmental Liabilities

Final Capping, Closure and Post-Closure Costs

Final capping

Closure and post-closure

Estimated future expenditures

Fair value measurements

Changes in assets retirement obligations

Landfill operating expenses

Environmental Liabilities

Business Combinations

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

Asset Impairments

Events or changes in circumstances that may indicate that an asset may be impaired include the following:


•	A significant decrease in the market price of an asset or asset group;


•	A significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which an asset or asset group is being used or in its physical condition;


•	A significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate that could affect the value of an asset or asset group, including an adverse action or assessment by a regulator;


•	An accumulation of costs significantly in excess of the amount originally expected for the acquisition or construction of a long-lived asset;


•	A current period operating or cash flow loss combined with a history of operating or cash flow losses or a projection or forecast that demonstrates continuing losses associated with the use of a long-lived asset or asset group;


•	A current expectation that, more likely than not, a long-lived asset or asset group will be sold or otherwise disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life; or


•	An impairment of goodwill at a reporting unit.

Insurance Reserves

Insurance ReservesOur insurance programs for workers' compensation, commercial general and auto liability, environmental and remediation liability, and employee-related health care benefits are subject to high deductible insurance policies. Accruals for insurance reserves are based on claims filed and estimates of claims incurred but not reported. We consider our past claims experience, including both frequency and settlement amount of claims, in determining these estimates. It is possible that recorded reserves may not be adequate to cover the future payment of claims. Adjustments, if any, to estimates recorded resulting from ultimate claim payments will be reflected in the consolidated statement of income in the periods in which such adjustments are known. In general, our insurance reserves are recorded on an undiscounted basis; however, the insurance liabilities we acquired in the Allied acquisition have been recorded at estimated fair value, and therefore have been discounted to present value based on our estimate of the timing of the related cash flows.

Costs Associated with Exit Activities

Costs Associated with Exit ActivitiesWe record costs associated with exit activities such as employee termination benefits that represent a one-time benefit when management approves and commits to a plan of termination, and communicates the termination arrangement to the employees, or over the future service period, if any. Other costs associated with exit activities may include contract termination costs, including costs related to leased facilities to be abandoned or subleased, and facility and employee relocation costs.

Contingent Liabilities

Contingent LiabilitiesWe are subject to various legal proceedings, claims and regulatory matters, the outcomes of which are subject to significant uncertainty. In general, we determine whether to disclose or accrue for loss contingencies based on an assessment of whether the risk of loss is remote, reasonably possible or probable, and whether it can be reasonably estimated. We assess our potential liability relating to litigation and regulatory matters based on information available to us. Management develops its assessment based on an analysis of possible outcomes under various strategies. We accrue for loss contingencies when such amounts are probable and reasonably estimable. If a contingent liability is only reasonably possible, we disclose the potential range of the loss, if estimable. Contingent liabilities recorded in purchase accounting are recorded at their fair values. These fair values may be different from the values we would have otherwise recorded, had the contingent liability not been assumed as part of an acquisition of a business.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income and Share Repurchases

Accumulated Other Comprehensive IncomeAccumulated other comprehensive income is a component of stockholders’ equity and includes the effective portion of the net changes in fair value of our cash flow hedges that consist of prices for diesel fuel and recycled commodities, net of tax, settlement and amortization of our interest rate locks and certain adjustments to liabilities associated with our employee defined benefit pension plan liabilities, net of tax.Share RepurchasesShare repurchases under our share repurchase authorization may be made through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions at the current market prices. From time-to-time, we return treasury shares acquired through share repurchases to the status of authorized but unissued. Our accounting policy is to deduct the par value from common stock and to reflect any excess of cost over par value as a deduction from additional paid-in capital.

Revenue Recognition

Income Taxes

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

Equity-Based Compensation Plans

Income tax related cash flows resulting from equity-based payments are reported as a component of operating activities.

Leases

Operating Leases

Capital Leases

Related Party Transactions

Related Party TransactionsIt is our policy that transactions with related parties must be on terms that, on the whole, are no less favorable than those that would be available from unaffiliated parties.

New Accounting Pronouncements

Income Taxes

Accounting Standards Issued but not yet Adopted

Leases

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (ASU 2016-02), which increases transparency and

We assessed the disclosure requirements under ASU 2016-02, and we anticipate disclosing additional information, as necessary, to comply with the standard.

Derivatives and Hedging

Reclassifications of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting

Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract

Accounting Standards Adopted

Statement of Cash flows

Beginning-of-period and end-of-period cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents as presented in the statement of cash flows is reconciled as follows:



	December 31, 2018			December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents	$	70.5		$	83.3		$	67.8
Restricted cash and marketable securities	108.1			141.1			90.5
Less: restricted marketable securities	(45.3		)	(45.3		)	(45.3		)
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents	$	133.3		$	179.1		$	113.0

Business Combinations

Retirement Benefits

Stock Compensation

Revenue Recognition


•	payments issued to our municipal customers in accordance with our residential collection contracts,


•	payments issued to our municipal customers in accordance with certain landfill operating agreements, and


•	commodity rebates in our collection and recycling lines of business.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of activity in allowance for doubtful accounts

The following table reflects the activity in our allowance for doubtful accounts for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	38.9		$	44.0		$	46.7
Additions charged to expense	34.8			30.6			20.4
Accounts written-off	(39.4		)	(35.7		)	(23.1		)
Balance at end of year	$	34.3		$	38.9		$	44.0

Schedule of estimated useful lives of our property and equipment

The estimated useful lives of our property and equipment are as follows:




Buildings and improvements	7 - 40 years
Vehicles	5 - 12 years
Landfill equipment	5 - 7 years
Other equipment	3 - 20 years
Furniture and fixtures	10 years

A summary of property and equipment, net as of December 31 follows:



	2018			2017
Land	$	443.6		$	433.2
Non-depletable landfill land	167.5			166.9
Landfill development costs	7,106.0			6,757.3
Vehicles and equipment	7,377.3			6,954.3
Buildings and improvements	1,279.8			1,221.5
Construction-in-progress - landfill	287.9			233.2
Construction-in-progress - other	89.9			55.7
	$	16,752.0		$	15,822.1
Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization
Landfill development costs	$	(3,635.9	)	$	(3,317.3	)
Vehicles and equipment	(4,571.1		)	(4,259.7		)
Buildings and improvements	(524.9		)	(467.7		)
	(8,731.9		)	(8,044.7		)
Property and equipment, net	$	8,020.1		$	7,777.4

Schedule of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents

Beginning-of-period and end-of-period cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents as presented in the statement of cash flows is reconciled as follows:



	December 31, 2018			December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
Cash and cash equivalents	$	70.5		$	83.3		$	67.8
Restricted cash and marketable securities	108.1			141.1			90.5
Less: restricted marketable securities	(45.3		)	(45.3		)	(45.3		)
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents	$	133.3		$	179.1		$	113.0

Schedule of new accounting standards, pro forma information

The cumulative effect of the changes made to our consolidated balance sheet for the adoption of ASU 2014-09 was as follows:



	Balance at December 31, 2017		Adjustments due to our adoption of ASU 2014-09		Balance at January 1, 2018
Balance Sheet
Assets
Other assets	$	335.2	$	43.8	$	379.0

Liabilities
Deferred income taxes and other long-term tax liabilities, net	$	796.4	$	10.4	$	806.8

Equity
Retained earnings	$	4,152.5	$	33.4	$	4,185.9

The impact of our adoption of the new revenue recognition standard on our consolidated income statement for the year ended December 31, 2018 was as follows:



	For the year ended December 31, 2018
	As Reported		Effect of Change			As Computed Excluding the Adoption of ASU 2014-09
Income Statement
Revenue	$	10,040.9	$	342.9		$	10,383.8
Expenses:
Cost of operations	$	6,150.0	$	337.0		$	6,487.0
Depreciation, amortization and depletion	$	1,033.4	$	5.9		$	1,039.3
Selling, general and administrative	$	1,059.5	$	0.4		$	1,059.9
Operating income	$	1,735.8	$	(0.4	)	$	1,735.4

Business Acquisitions, Investments and Restructuring Charges (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Business Combinations [Abstract]

Schedule of aggregate purchase price and allocation of purchase price in other acquisitions

We acquired various waste businesses during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017. The purchase price paid for these business acquisitions and the allocations of the purchase price follows:



	2018			2017
Purchase price:
Cash used in acquisitions, net of cash acquired	$	99.9		$	325.4
Contingent consideration	—			5.2
Holdbacks	11.2			7.7
Fair value, future minimum lease payments	—			6.0
Fair value of operations surrendered	78.6			70.1
Total	$	189.7		$	414.4
Allocated as follows:
Restricted cash	$	—		$	2.9
Accounts receivable	6.4			28.5
Landfill airspace	22.2			28.0
Property and equipment	28.0			130.7
Other assets	0.1			51.3
Inventory	0.2			4.3
Accounts payable	(0.3		)	(6.5		)
Environmental remediation liabilities	—			(0.8		)
Closure and post-closure liabilities	(1.5		)	(5.4		)
Other liabilities	(6.1		)	(25.0		)
Fair value of tangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed	49.0			208.0
Excess purchase price to be allocated	$	140.7		$	206.4
Excess purchase price to be allocated as follows:
Other intangible assets	$	27.8		$	25.5
Goodwill	112.9			180.9
Total allocated	$	140.7		$	206.4

Property and Equipment, Net (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Schedule of property and equipment, net

The estimated useful lives of our property and equipment are as follows:




Buildings and improvements	7 - 40 years
Vehicles	5 - 12 years
Landfill equipment	5 - 7 years
Other equipment	3 - 20 years
Furniture and fixtures	10 years

A summary of property and equipment, net as of December 31 follows:



	2018			2017
Land	$	443.6		$	433.2
Non-depletable landfill land	167.5			166.9
Landfill development costs	7,106.0			6,757.3
Vehicles and equipment	7,377.3			6,954.3
Buildings and improvements	1,279.8			1,221.5
Construction-in-progress - landfill	287.9			233.2
Construction-in-progress - other	89.9			55.7
	$	16,752.0		$	15,822.1
Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization
Landfill development costs	$	(3,635.9	)	$	(3,317.3	)
Vehicles and equipment	(4,571.1		)	(4,259.7		)
Buildings and improvements	(524.9		)	(467.7		)
	(8,731.9		)	(8,044.7		)
Property and equipment, net	$	8,020.1		$	7,777.4

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of the activity and balances in goodwill accounts, net, by operating segment

A summary of the activity and balances in goodwill accounts by reporting segment follows:



	Balance as of December 31, 2017		Acquisitions		Divestitures			Adjustments to Acquisitions			Balance as of December 31, 2018
Group 1	$	6,084.0	$	94.8	$	(27.0	)	$	(1.2	)	$	6,150.6
Group 2	5,231.4		18.1		(4.1		)	4.1			5,249.5
Total	$	11,315.4	$	112.9	$	(31.1	)	$	2.9		$	11,400.1



	Balance as of December 31, 2016		Acquisitions		Divestitures			Adjustments to Acquisitions			Balance as of December 31, 2017
Group 1	$	6,055.9	$	57.7	$	(23.5	)	$	(6.1	)	$	6,084.0
Group 2	5,107.3		123.2		(5.1		)	6.0			5,231.4
Total	$	11,163.2	$	180.9	$	(28.6	)	$	(0.1	)	$	11,315.4

Schedule of the activity and balances by intangible asset type

A summary of the activity and balances by intangible asset type follows:



	Gross Intangible Assets									Accumulated Amortization											Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2018
	Balance as of December 31, 2017		Acquisitions		Adjustments and Other ⁽¹⁾			Balance as of December 31, 2018		Balance as of December 31, 2017			Additions Charged to Expense			Adjustments and Other ⁽¹⁾		Balance as of December 31, 2018			Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2018
Customer relationships, franchise and other municipal agreements	$	666.0	$	27.0	$	(0.6	)	$	692.4	$	(554.7	)	$	(52.5	)	$	—	$	(607.2	)	$	85.2
Non-compete agreements	35.6		1.5		(0.1		)	37.0		(28.5		)	(3.1		)	0.1		(31.5		)	5.5
Other intangible assets	73.8		—		(9.5		)	64.3		(51.1		)	(1.2		)	3.8		(48.5		)	15.8
Total	$	775.4	$	28.5	$	(10.2	)	$	793.7	$	(634.3	)	$	(56.8	)	$	3.9	$	(687.2	)	$	106.5

(1) In accordance with our adoption of ASU 2014-09, we transferred a $5.7 million net deferred contract asset to Other Assets during the year ended December 31, 2018.



	Gross Intangible Assets								Accumulated Amortization											Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2017
	Balance as of December 31, 2016		Acquisitions		Divestitures		Balance as of December 31, 2017		Balance as of December 31, 2016			Additions Charged to Expense			Divestitures		Balance as of December 31, 2017			Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2017
Customer relationships, franchise and other municipal agreements	$	650.8	$	15.2	$	—	$	666.0	$	(492.5	)	$	(62.2	)	$	—	$	(554.7	)	$	111.3
Non-compete agreements	32.1		3.5		—		35.6		(25.3		)	(3.2		)	—		(28.5		)	7.1
Other intangible assets	67.0		6.8		—		73.8		(49.8		)	(1.3		)	—		(51.1		)	22.7
Total	$	749.9	$	25.5	$	—	$	775.4	$	(567.6	)	$	(66.7	)	$	—	$	(634.3	)	$	141.1

Schedule of amortization expense

Based on the amortizable intangible assets recorded in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2018, amortization expense for each of the next five years is estimated as follows:



2019	$	15.6
2020	$	13.2
2021	$	11.9
2022	$	10.6
2023	$	9.5

Other Assets (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of prepaid expenses and other current assets

A summary of prepaid expenses and other current assets as of December 31 follows:



	2018		2017
Income tax receivable	$	187.7	$	59.7
Prepaid expenses	85.8		78.6
Inventories	53.1		51.2
Other non-trade receivables	34.4		28.6
Reinsurance receivable	25.7		23.1
Other current assets	4.5		6.4
Total	$	391.2	$	247.6

Schedule of other assets

A summary of other assets as of December 31 follows:



	2018		2017
Deferred compensation plan	$	100.0	$	99.9
Deferred contract costs and sales commissions	89.2		43.6
Investments	73.0		27.2
Reinsurance receivable	68.0		65.9
Amounts recoverable for capping, closure and post-closure obligations	30.5		29.9
Interest rate swaps and locks	12.8		27.1
Deferred financing costs	4.2		3.0
Other	40.1		38.6
Total	$	417.8	$	335.2

Other Liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of other accrued liabilities

A summary of other accrued liabilities as of December 31 follows:



	2018		2017
Accrued payroll and benefits	$	205.1	$	212.2
Insurance reserves, current portion	152.9		144.8
Accrued fees and taxes	124.2		129.7
Accrued dividends	121.0		114.4
Ceded insurance reserves, current portion	25.7		23.1
Accrued professional fees and legal settlement reserves	13.1		45.1
Current tax liabilities	0.2		11.7
Other	86.4		127.2
Total	$	728.6	$	808.2

Schedule of other long-term liabilities

A summary of other long-term liabilities as of December 31 follows:



	2018		2017
Deferred compensation plan	$	96.0	$	97.9
Contingent consideration and acquisition holdbacks	73.9		71.3
Ceded insurance reserves	68.0		65.9
Withdrawal liability - multiemployer pension funds	12.2		12.6
Legal settlement reserves	10.0		—
Pension and other post-retirement liabilities	6.0		7.0
Other	55.3		57.4
Total	$	321.4	$	312.1

Schedule of activity of self insurance reserves

The following table summarizes the activity in our insurance reserves for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	420.2		$	418.5		$	405.8
Additions charged to expense	452.4			432.9			410.3
Payments	(461.4		)	(448.0		)	(400.5		)
Accretion expense	0.9			1.2			1.5
Premium written for third party risk assumed	31.6			29.6			23.4
Reclassified to ceded insurance reserves	(20.0		)	(14.0		)	(22.0		)
Balance at end of year	423.7			420.2			418.5
Less: current portion	(152.9		)	(144.8		)	(143.9		)
Long-term portion	$	270.8		$	275.4		$	274.6

Landfill and Environmental Costs (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]

Schedule of landfill and environmental liabilities

A summary of our accrued landfill and environmental liabilities as of December 31 follows:



	2018			2017
Landfill final capping, closure and post-closure liabilities	$	1,292.0		$	1,257.7
Environmental remediation	540.2			564.0
Total accrued landfill and environmental costs	1,832.2			1,821.7
Less: current portion	(130.6		)	(135.2		)
Long-term portion	$	1,701.6		$	1,686.5

Schedule of activity in asset retirement obligation liabilities, which includes liabilities for final capping, closure and post-closure

The following table summarizes the activity in our asset retirement obligation liabilities, which includes liabilities for final capping, closure and post-closure, for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Asset retirement obligation liabilities, beginning of year	$	1,257.7		$	1,224.6		$	1,181.6
Non-cash additions	43.9			45.2			41.0
Acquisitions, net of divestitures and other adjustments	(0.7		)	(20.3		)	0.8
Asset retirement obligation adjustments	(17.7		)	(8.9		)	(0.5		)
Payments	(71.9		)	(62.7		)	(77.4		)
Accretion expense	80.7			79.8			79.1
Asset retirement obligation liabilities, end of year	1,292.0			1,257.7			1,224.6
Less: current portion	(76.7		)	(77.4		)	(64.8		)
Long-term portion	$	1,215.3		$	1,180.3		$	1,159.8

Schedule of expected future payments for final capping, closure, and post-closure

The expected future payments for final capping, closure and post-closure as of December 31, 2018 follows:



2019	$	76.7
2020	89.0
2021	74.7
2022	68.3
2023	74.7
Thereafter	6,114.6
	$	6,498.0

Schedule of activity in environmental remediation liabilities

The following table summarizes the activity in our environmental remediation liabilities for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Environmental remediation liabilities, beginning of year	$	564.0		$	602.9		$	646.1
Net additions charged to expense	5.0			0.4			(1.6		)
Payments	(48.8		)	(54.8		)	(66.8		)
Accretion expense (non-cash interest expense)	20.2			21.0			23.4
Acquisitions, net of divestitures and other adjustments	(0.2		)	(5.5		)	1.8
Environmental remediation liabilities, end of year	540.2			564.0			602.9
Less: current portion	(53.9		)	(57.8		)	(77.9		)
Long-term portion	$	486.3		$	506.2		$	525.0

Schedule of expected undiscounted future payments for remediation costs

The expected undiscounted future payments for remediation costs as of December 31, 2018 follows:



2019	$	53.9
2020	104.7
2021	57.0
2022	49.2
2023	51.8
Thereafter	420.7
	$	737.3

Debt (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of notes payable, capital leases and long-term debt



		2018								2017
Maturity	Interest Rate	Principal		Adjustments			Carrying Value			Principal		Adjustments			Carrying Value
Credit facilities:
Uncommitted Credit Facility	Variable	$	33.4	$	—		$	33.4		$	—	$	—		$	—
June 2019	Variable	—		—			—			130.0		—			130.0
May 2021	Variable	—		—			—			—		—			—
June 2023	Variable	159.0		—			159.0			—		—			—
Senior notes:
May 2018	3.800	—		—			—			700.0		(0.3		)	699.7
September 2019	5.500	650.0		(0.9		)	649.1			650.0		(2.1		)	647.9
March 2020	5.000	850.0		(1.0		)	849.0			850.0		(1.8		)	848.2
November 2021	5.250	600.0		(1.2		)	598.8			600.0		(1.5		)	598.5
June 2022	3.550	850.0		(3.6		)	846.4			850.0		(4.6		)	845.4
May 2023	4.750	550.0		(5.5		)	544.5			550.0		(1.0		)	549.0
March 2025	3.200	500.0		(4.3		)	495.7			500.0		(4.8		)	495.2
June 2026	2.900	500.0		(4.4		)	495.6			500.0		(5.0		)	495.0
November 2027	3.375	650.0		(5.9		)	644.1			650.0		(7.0		)	643.0
May 2028	3.950	800.0		(17.3		)	782.7			—		—			—
March 2035	6.086	181.9		(14.4		)	167.5			181.9		(14.9		)	167.0
March 2040	6.200	399.9		(3.8		)	396.1			399.9		(3.9		)	396.0
May 2041	5.700	385.7		(5.3		)	380.4			385.7		(5.5		)	380.2
Debentures:
May 2021	9.250	35.3		(0.7		)	34.6			35.3		(1.0		)	34.3
September 2035	7.400	148.1		(33.8		)	114.3			148.1		(34.5		)	113.6
Tax-exempt:
2019 - 2044	1.970 - 2.500	1,042.4		(5.6		)	1,036.8			1,042.4		(6.4		)	1,036.0
Capital leases:
2019 - 2046	3.273 - 12.203	109.5		—			109.5			108.4		—			108.4
Total Debt		$	8,445.2	$	(107.7	)	8,337.5			$	8,281.7	$	(94.3	)	8,187.4
Less: current portion							(690.7		)						(706.7		)
Long-term portion							$	7,646.8							$	7,480.7

Schedule of future maturities of debt

Aggregate principal maturities of notes payable, capital leases and other long-term debt as of December 31, 2018 follow:



2019	$	691.6
2020	926.8
2021	768.4
2022	855.9
2023	918.4
Thereafter	4,284.1
	$	8,445.2

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of components of the provision for income taxes

The components of the provision for income taxes for the years ended December 31 follow:



	2018			2017			2016
Current:
Federal	$	128.9		$	358.3		$	299.5
State	46.9			48.4			34.6
Deferred:
Federal	121.5			(388.1		)	44.9
State	30.6			9.1			2.3
State deferred benefit - change in valuation allowance	(4.5		)	9.6			(1.4		)
Uncertain tax positions and interest, and other	(40.1		)	(34.2		)	(27.2		)
Provision for income taxes	$	283.3		$	3.1		$	352.7

Schedule of reconciliations of the statutory federal income tax rate to our effective tax rate

The reconciliations of the statutory federal income tax rate to our effective tax rate for the years ended December 31 follow:



	2018		2017		2016
Federal statutory rate	21.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	4.5		3.0		3.1
Change in valuation allowance	(0.3	)	(0.2	)	(0.1	)
Non-deductible expenses	1.9		1.8		0.9
Uncertain tax position taxes and interest	(0.5	)	—		(0.1	)
Investment tax credits	(3.8	)	(1.0	)	(1.1	)
Change in U.S. Tax Law	—		(36.2	)	—
Other, net	(1.3	)	(2.2	)	(1.2	)
Effective income tax rate	21.5	%	0.2	%	36.5	%

Schedule of components of the net deferred income tax asset and liability

The components of the net deferred income tax asset and liability as of December 31 follow:



	2018			2017
Deferred tax liabilities relating to:
Differences between book and tax basis of property and equipment	$	(799.9	)	$	(715.3	)
Difference between book and tax basis of intangible assets	(453.3		)	(446.9		)
Basis difference due to redemption of partnership interests	(88.8		)	(89.0		)
Total liabilities	$	(1,342.0	)	$	(1,251.2	)
Deferred tax assets relating to:
Environmental reserves	$	253.2		$	272.5
Accruals not currently deductible	78.9			106.2
Net operating loss carryforwards	134.3			143.3
Difference between book and tax basis of other assets	13.7			27.3
Other	12.9			14.4
Total assets	493.0			563.7
Valuation allowance	(73.5		)	(72.4		)
Net deferred tax asset	419.5			491.3
Net deferred tax liabilities	$	(922.5	)	$	(759.9	)

Schedule of changes in the deferred tax valuation allowance

Changes in the deferred tax valuation allowance for the years ended December 31 follow:



	2018			2017			2016
Valuation allowance, beginning of year	$	72.4		$	62.3		$	63.7
Additions charged to provision for income taxes	0.9			12.9			0.3
Deferred tax assets realized or written-off	(5.9		)	(2.8		)	(1.4		)
Current year acquisitions	6.1			—			—
Other, net	—			—			(0.3		)
Valuation allowance, end of year	$	73.5		$	72.4		$	62.3

Schedule of activity in our gross unrecognized tax benefits

The following table summarizes the activity in our gross unrecognized tax benefits for the years ended December 31:



	2018			2017			2016
Balance at beginning of year	$	39.3		$	46.1		$	47.0
Additions based on tax positions related to current year	—			—			—
Additions for tax positions of prior years	75.0			1.7			0.1
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(2.3		)	(8.0		)	(0.7		)
Reductions for tax positions resulting from lapse of statute of limitations	(5.1		)	(0.5		)	(0.3		)
Settlements	(2.0		)	—			—
Balance at end of year	$	104.9		$	39.3		$	46.1

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

Schedule of stock option activity

The following table summarizes stock option activity for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:



	Number of Shares (in millions)		Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)
Outstanding as of December 31, 2015	5.0		$	30.08
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(1.7	)	29.45			$	33.0
Forfeited or expired	(0.1	)	31.46
Outstanding as of December 31, 2016	3.2		30.35
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(1.3	)	29.80			$	42.1
Forfeited or expired	—		—
Outstanding as of December 31, 2017	1.9		30.72
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(0.9	)	29.73			$	36.5
Forfeited or expired	—		—
Outstanding and Exercisable as of December 31, 2018	1.0		$	31.65	1.3	$	39.6

Schedule of restricted stock unit and restricted stock activity

The following table summarizes restricted stock unit (RSU) activity for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:



	Number of RSUs (in thousands)		Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share		Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in millions)
Unissued as of December 31, 2015	1,727.3		$	34.15
Granted	640.4		45.01
Vested and issued	(370.6	)	30.03
Forfeited	(173.3	)	38.77
Unissued as of December 31, 2016	1,823.8		37.49
Granted	642.5		59.87
Vested and issued	(602.5	)	36.26
Forfeited	(87.9	)	47.86
Unissued as of December 31, 2017	1,775.9		45.48
Granted	467.4		64.32
Vested and issued	(565.0	)	41.50
Forfeited	(85.7	)	54.84
Unissued as of December 31, 2018	1,592.6		$	51.88	1.0	$	114.8
Vested and unissued as of December 31, 2018	578.4		$	39.24

Schedule of performance shares award outstanding activity

The following table summarizes performance stock unit (PSU) activity for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016:



	Number of PSUs (in thousands)		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
Unissued as of December 31, 2015	143.4		$	38.69
Granted	401.2		46.27
Vested and issued	—		—
Forfeited	(39.8	)	43.60
Unissued as of December 31, 2016	504.8		$	44.40
Granted	316.1		60.48
Vested and issued	—		—
Forfeited	(22.2	)	53.79
Unissued as of December 31, 2017	798.7		$	50.52
Granted	374.9		62.26
Vested and issued	(150.7	)	39.05
Forfeited	(23.2	)	59.76
Unissued as of December 31, 2018	999.7		$	55.77
Vested and unissued as of December 31, 2018	17.1		$	38.69

Schedule of accumulated benefit obligation and reconciliations of the changes of defined benefit pension plan



	Defined Benefit Pension Plan
	2018			2017
Accumulated benefit obligation	$	220.7		$	242.8
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	242.8		$	239.1
Interest cost	8.2			9.3
Actuarial (gain) loss	(11.1		)	11.7
Benefits paid	(19.2		)	(17.3		)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	$	220.7		$	242.8
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	$	256.9		$	245.3
Actual return on plan assets	(6.0		)	30.6
Estimated expenses	(1.6		)	(1.7		)
Benefits paid	(19.2		)	(17.3		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	230.1		$	256.9
Over funded status	$	9.4		$	14.1
Amounts recognized in the statement of financial position consist of:
Noncurrent assets	$	9.4		$	14.1
Net amount recognized	$	9.4		$	14.1
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:
Discount rate	4.21		%	3.55		%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A			N/A

Schedule of net periodic benefit costs

The components of the net periodic benefit cost for the years ended December 31 are summarized below:



	2018			2017			2016
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Interest cost	$	8.2		$	9.3		$	10.1
Expected return on plan assets	(11.3		)	(10.8		)	(11.5		)
Recognized net actuarial (gain)	(1.1		)	(0.4		)	—
Amortization of prior service cost	0.1			0.1			0.1
Net periodic benefit (income)	$	(4.1	)	$	(1.8	)	$	(1.3	)
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate	3.55		%	4.07		%	4.19		%
Expected return on plan assets	5.35		%	5.36		%	5.56		%
Rate of compensation increase	N/A			N/A			N/A

Schedule of target asset allocation and actual asset allocation for defined benefit pension plans

The following table summarizes our target asset allocation as of December 31, 2018 and the actual asset allocation as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 for our Plan:



	December 31, 2018		December 31, 2018		December 31, 2017
	Target Asset Allocation		Actual Asset Allocation		Actual Asset Allocation
Debt securities	82	%	83	%	70	%
Equity securities	18		17		30
Total	100	%	100	%	100	%

Schedule of changes in the fair value of the Plan's investment

The Plan assets are measured at fair value. The following table summarizes, by level, within the fair value hierarchy, the investments of the Plan at fair value as of December 31, 2018 and 2017:



			Fair Value Measurements Using
	Total as of December 31, 2018		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Money market accounts	$	4.0	$	4.0	$	—	$	—
Mutual funds	226.1		—		226.1		—
Total assets	$	230.1	$	4.0	$	226.1	$	—



			Fair Value Measurements Using
	Total as of December 31, 2017		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Money market accounts	$	3.0	$	3.0	$	—	$	—
Mutual funds	253.9		—		253.9		—
Total assets	$	256.9	$	3.0	$	253.9	$	—

Schedule of estimated future benefit payments

Estimated future benefit payments for the next ten years under the Plan follow:



2019	$	20.4
2020	$	19.2
2021	$	18.5
2022	$	18.1
2023	$	17.2
2024 through 2028	$	74.1

Schedule of individually significant multiemployer pension plans

There have been no significant changes that affect the comparability of the 2018, 2017 and 2016 contributions.



		Pension Protection Act Zone Status		Funding Improvement or Rehabilitation Plan Status Pending /	Republic Contributions to Plan						Surcharge	Expiration Dates
Legal Plan Name	EIN	2017	2016	Implemented	2018		2017		2016		Imposed	of CBAs
Local 731 Private Scavengers and Garage Attendants Pension Trust Fund	36-6513567	Safe	Safe	Implemented	$	9.7	$	10.2	$	9.3	No	Various dates through 9/30/23
Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan	91-6145047	Safe	Safe	No	44.3		39.5		36.3		No	Various dates through 3/31/23
New England Teamsters & Trucking Industry Pension	04-6372430	Critical and Declining	Critical and Declining	Implemented	3.2		3.2		2.8		No	06/30/20
Midwest Operating Engineers Pension Fund	36-6140097	Endangered	Endangered	Implemented	2.1		2.2		2.0		No	Various dates through 5/31/21
Individually significant plans					59.3		55.1		50.4
All other plans	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	10.1		9.6		9.3		N/A
Total					$	69.4	$	64.7	$	59.7

Share Repurchases and Dividends (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

Schedule of share repurchase activity

Share repurchase activity during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 follows (in millions except per share amounts):



	2018		2017
Number of shares repurchased	10.7		9.6
Amount paid	$	736.9	$	610.7
Weighted average cost per share	$	69.06	$	63.84

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings per share

Earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016 are calculated as follows (in thousands, except per share amounts):



	2018		2017		2016
Basic earnings per share:
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$	1,036,898	$	1,278,374	$	612,588
Weighted average common shares outstanding	326,897		337,051		343,024
Basic earnings per share	$	3.17	$	3.79	$	1.79
Diluted earnings per share:
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$	1,036,898	$	1,278,374	$	612,588
Weighted average common shares outstanding	326,897		337,051		343,024
Effect of dilutive securities:
Options to purchase common stock	745		1,246		1,076
Unvested RSU awards	250		346		190
Unvested PSU awards	491		338		100
Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding	328,383		338,981		344,390
Diluted earnings per share	$	3.16	$	3.77	$	1.78

Segment Reporting (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Summarized financial information concerning our reportable segments

Summarized financial information concerning our reportable segments for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 follows:



	Gross Revenue		Intercompany Revenue			Net Revenue		Depreciation, Amortization, Depletion and Accretion		Operating Income (Loss)			Capital Expenditures		Total Assets
2018:
Group 1	$	5,789.9	$	(978.0	)	$	4,811.9	$	484.9	$	1,156.9		$	457.0	$	11,011.5
Group 2	5,928.0		(857.0		)	5,071.0		493.7		938.5			515.8		8,999.6
Corporate entities	174.0		(16.0		)	158.0		135.5		(359.6		)	99.0		1,605.9
Total	$	11,891.9	$	(1,851.0	)	$	10,040.9	$	1,114.1	$	1,735.8		$	1,071.8	$	21,617.0
2017:
Group 1	$	5,961.3	$	(1,085.0	)	$	4,876.3	$	477.1	$	1,135.1		$	530.4	$	9,934.3
Group 2	5,844.8		(928.4		)	4,916.4		508.8		945.9			362.9		9,655.4
Corporate entities	265.0		(16.2		)	248.8		130.2		(412.5		)	96.5		1,557.3
Total	$	12,071.1	$	(2,029.6	)	$	10,041.5	$	1,116.1	$	1,668.5		$	989.8	$	21,147.0
2016:
Group 1	$	5,601.3	$	(1,040.4	)	$	4,560.9	$	462.3	$	1,059.4		$	416.2	$	9,747.6
Group 2	5,551.6		(913.7		)	4,637.9		490.8		863.0			375.1		9,349.7
Corporate entities	202.5		(13.6		)	188.9		117.1		(384.9		)	136.5		1,532.3
Total	$	11,355.4	$	(1,967.7	)	$	9,387.7	$	1,070.2	$	1,537.5		$	927.8	$	20,629.6

Revenue (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Schedule of disaggregation of revenue

The following table disaggregates our revenue by service line for the years ended December 31 (in millions of dollars and as a percentage of revenue):



	2018					2017					2016
Collection:
Residential	$	2,235.1		22.3	%	$	2,285.7		22.8	%	$	2,239.7		23.9	%
Small-container	3,057.5			30.5		2,995.6			29.8		2,877.5			30.7
Large-container	2,181.1			21.7		2,087.9			20.8		1,975.8			21.0
Other	43.8			0.4		44.2			0.4		38.2			0.4
Total collection ⁽¹⁾	7,517.5			74.9		7,413.4			73.8		7,131.2			76.0
Transfer	1,243.9					1,209.5					1,157.6
Less: intercompany	(706.4		)			(703.8		)			(694.1		)
Transfer, net	537.5			5.4		505.7			5.0		463.5			4.9
Landfill	2,291.7					2,224.3					2,083.6
Less: intercompany	(1,020.8		)			(985.5		)			(962.4		)
Landfill, net	1,270.9			12.7		1,238.8			12.3		1,121.2			11.9
Energy services	194.7			1.9		149.0			1.5		76.4			0.8
Other:
Recycling processing and commodity sales⁽²⁾	298.0			3.0		539.2			5.4		420.4			4.5
Other non-core	222.3			2.1		195.4			2.0		175.0			1.9
Total other	520.3			5.1		734.6			7.4		595.4			6.4
Total revenue	$	10,040.9		100.0	%	$	10,041.5		100.0	%	$	9,387.7		100.0	%

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Equity [Abstract]

Summary of changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) by component

A summary of changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax, by component, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 follows:



	Cash Flow Hedges			Defined Benefit Pension Plan			Total
Balance as of December 31, 2015	$	(41.6	)	$	11.1		$	(30.5	)
Other comprehensive income before reclassifications	11.8			6.4			18.2
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss	26.5			—			26.5
Net current period other comprehensive income	38.3			6.4			44.7
Balance as of December 31, 2016	(3.3		)	17.5			14.2
Other comprehensive (loss) income before reclassifications	(0.6		)	3.7			3.1
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	5.3			—			5.3
Net current period other comprehensive income	4.7			3.7			8.4
Balance as of December 31, 2017	1.4			21.2			22.6
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	18.5			(6.5		)	12.0
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	(3.8		)	—			(3.8		)
Net current period other comprehensive income (loss)	14.7			(6.5		)	8.2
Balance as of December 31, 2018	$	16.1		$	14.7		$	30.8

Schedule of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

A summary of reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 follows:



	Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Details about Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Components	2018			2017			2016			Affected Line Item in the Statement Where Net Income is Presented
Gain (loss) on cash flow hedges:
Recycling commodity hedges	$	1.1		$	(2.8	)	$	—		Revenue
Fuel hedges	4.3			(3.3		)	(34.1		)	Cost of operations
Terminated interest rate locks	(0.3		)	(2.7		)	(9.8		)	Interest expense
	5.1			(8.8		)	(43.9		)	Total before tax
	(1.3		)	3.5			17.4			Tax (expense) benefit
	3.8			(5.3		)	(26.5		)	Net of tax
Total gain (loss) reclassified into earnings	$	3.8		$	(5.3	)	$	(26.5	)

Financial Instruments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of carrying amount and fair value of financial instruments

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis include the following:



	December 31, 2018
			Fair Value
	Carrying Amount		Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	$	37.1	$	37.1	$	37.1	$	—	$	—
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	47.8		47.8		—		47.8		—
Interest rate swaps - other assets	2.5		2.5		—		2.5		—
Interest rate locks - other assets	10.3		10.3		—		10.3		—
Total assets	$	97.7	$	97.7	$	37.1	$	60.6	$	—
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	$	70.9	$	70.9	$	—	$	—	$	70.9
Total liabilities	$	70.9	$	70.9	$	—	$	—	$	70.9



	December 31, 2017
			Fair Value
	Carrying Amount		Total		Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)		Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	$	30.3	$	30.3	$	30.3	$	—	$	—
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	92.1		92.1		—		92.1		—
Fuel hedges - other current assets	3.0		3.0		—		3.0		—
Interest rate swaps - other assets	8.0		8.0		—		8.0		—
Interest rate locks - other assets	19.1		19.1		—		19.1		—
Total assets	$	152.5	$	152.5	$	30.3	$	122.2	$	—
Liabilities:
Commodity hedges - other accrued liabilities	$	0.2	$	0.2	$	—	$	0.2	$	—
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	73.3		73.3		—		—		73.3
Total liabilities	$	73.5	$	73.5	$	—	$	0.2	$	73.3

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of financial instruments measured at fair value, including those classified in shareholders' equity measured on a recurring or nonrecurring basis. Disclosures include, but are not limited to, fair value measurements recorded and the reasons for the measurements, level within the fair value hierarchy in which the fair value measurements are categorized and transfers between levels 1 and 2. Nonrecurring fair value measurements are those that are required or permitted in the statement of financial position in particular circumstances.

+ References + Details

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of future minimum lease obligations under non-cancellable operating leases

Future minimum lease obligations under non-cancelable operating leases with initial terms in excess of one year as of December 31, 2018 are as follows:



2019	$	38.7
2020	35.1
2021	32.1
2022	27.7
2023	26.2
Thereafter	129.2
	$	289.0

Schedule of future minimum payments under unconditional purchase commitments

Future minimum payments under unconditional purchase commitments, consisting primarily of (1) disposal related agreements, which include fixed or minimum royalty payments, host agreements, and take-or-pay and put-or-pay agreements, and (2) other obligations including committed capital expenditures and consulting service agreements as of December 31, 2018 are as follows:



2019	$	350.8
2020	83.0
2021	46.1
2022	38.5
2023	30.8
Thereafter	341.6
	$	890.8

Schedule of financial instruments and collateral in place

We had the following financial instruments and collateral in place to secure our financial assurances as of December 31:



	2018		2017
Letters of credit	$	474.2	$	490.3
Surety bonds	3,418.5		3,307.3

Schedule of restricted cash and marketable securities

The following table summarizes our restricted cash and marketable securities as of December 31:



	2018		2017
Financing proceeds	$	—	$	38.6
Capping, closure and post-closure obligations	29.5		28.6
Insurance	78.6		71.4
Other	—		2.5
Total restricted cash and marketable securities	$	108.1	$	141.1

Selected Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of results of operations

The following table summarizes our unaudited consolidated quarterly results of operations as reported for 2018 and 2017:



	First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
2018:
Revenue ⁽¹⁾	$	2,427.5	$	2,517.8	$	2,565.7	$	2,530.0
Operating income ⁽¹⁾	404.2		408.2		440.3		483.3
Net income	237.9		235.7		262.9		301.1
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc. ⁽¹⁾	237.7		234.9		263.4		301.0
Diluted earnings per common share	0.72		0.71		0.81		0.92
2017:
Revenue ⁽²⁾	$	2,392.8	$	2,526.7	$	2,562.0	$	2,560.0
Operating income	388.1		425.5		448.1		406.8
Net income	187.8		203.4		223.3		664.5
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc. ⁽¹⁾	187.8		202.9		223.2		664.4
Diluted earnings per common share ⁽¹⁾	0.55		0.60		0.66		1.98

(1) Line items in these rows do not total to amounts reported in the consolidated statement of income due to rounding.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) pension_plan segment landfill	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment	Jan. 01, 2019 USD ($)	Oct. 01, 2018
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Net book credit balances in our primary disbursement accounts	$ 64,800,000	$ 53,200,000
Restricted cash and marketable securities	108,100,000	141,100,000	$ 90,500,000
Capitalized interest	$ 6,800,000	$ 6,500,000	$ 6,200,000
Post-closure period	30 years
Number of closed landfills \| landfill	129
Asset retirement obligation, costs to discharge, inflation rate	1.70%	1.70%	1.80%
Years of historical moving average increase of the U.S. Consumer Price Index used as our basis for inflation rate	10 years
Number of reportable segments \| segment	2	2	2
Future estimates of revenue and expense growth rate	3.00%
Future estimated effective tax rates	27.00%
Estimated discount rates, minimum range	7.00%
Estimated discount rates, maximum range	8.00%
Number of reporting units \| segment	2
Fair value of our reporting units exceeded the carrying value of our reporting units, maximum range					110.00%
Number of qualified defined pension plans \| pension_plan	1
Minimum
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Interest capitalization, construction costs threshold	$ 50,000
Interest capitalization, construction phase period	1 month
Interest capitalization, useful life of assets under construction	1 year
Amortization period for other intangible assets	1 year
Right-of-use liability				$ 240,000,000
Right-of-use asset				225,000,000
Maximum
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Amortization period for other intangible assets	18 years
Right-of-use liability				270,000,000
Right-of-use asset				$ 255,000,000
Insurance Programs For Workers' Compensation
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Restricted cash and marketable securities	$ 78,600,000

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Allowance for Doubtful Accounts) (Details) - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Activity in allowance for doubtful accounts
Balance at beginning of year	$ 38.9	$ 44.0	$ 46.7
Additions charged to expense	34.8	30.6	20.4
Accounts written-off	(39.4)	(35.7)	(23.1)
Balance at end of year	$ 34.3	$ 38.9	$ 44.0

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Property and Equipment) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018
Buildings and improvements \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	7 years
Buildings and improvements \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	40 years
Vehicles \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Vehicles \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	12 years
Landfill equipment \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	5 years
Landfill equipment \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	7 years
Other equipment \| Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	3 years
Other equipment \| Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	20 years
Furniture and fixtures
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	10 years

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Statement of Cash flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cash used in investing activities	$ (1,229.1)	$ (1,330.2)	$ (964.5)
Cash and cash equivalents	70.5	83.3	67.8
Restricted cash and marketable securities	108.1	141.1	90.5
Less: restricted marketable securities	(45.3)	(45.3)	(45.3)
Cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents	$ 133.3	179.1	113.0	$ 86.5
Accounting Standards Update 2016-18
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Cash used in investing activities		$ 50.6	$ (8.9)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Revenue Recognition) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Jan. 01, 2018
Balance Sheet
Other assets	$ 417.8				$ 335.2				$ 417.8	$ 335.2		$ 379.0
Deferred income taxes and other long-term tax liabilities, net	1,028.3				796.4				1,028.3	796.4		806.8
Retained earnings	4,750.5				4,152.5				4,750.5	4,152.5		4,185.9
Income Statement
Revenue	2,530.0	$ 2,565.7	$ 2,517.8	$ 2,427.5	2,560.0	$ 2,562.0	$ 2,526.7	$ 2,392.8	10,040.9	10,041.5	$ 9,387.7
Cost of operations									6,150.0	6,214.6	5,764.0
Depreciation, amortization and depletion									1,033.4	1,036.3	991.1
Selling, general and administrative									1,059.5	1,057.4	969.8
Operating income	$ 483.3	$ 440.3	$ 408.2	$ 404.2	406.8	$ 448.1	$ 425.5	$ 388.1	1,735.8	1,668.5	$ 1,537.5
As Computed Excluding the Adoption of ASU 2014-09
Income Statement
Revenue									10,383.8
Cost of operations									6,487.0
Depreciation, amortization and depletion									1,039.3
Selling, general and administrative									1,059.9
Operating income									1,735.4
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 \| Effect of Change
Income Statement
Revenue									342.9
Cost of operations									337.0
Depreciation, amortization and depletion									5.9
Selling, general and administrative									0.4
Operating income									$ (0.4)
Calculated under Revenue Guidance in Effect before Topic 606
Balance Sheet
Other assets					335.2					335.2
Deferred income taxes and other long-term tax liabilities, net					796.4					796.4
Retained earnings					$ 4,152.5					$ 4,152.5
Difference between Revenue Guidance in Effect before and after Topic 606 \| Accounting Standards Update 2014-09
Balance Sheet
Other assets												43.8
Deferred income taxes and other long-term tax liabilities, net												10.4
Retained earnings												$ 33.4

Business Acquisitions, Investments and Restructuring Charges (Acquisitions) (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) center state	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Purchase price:
Cash used in acquisitions, net of cash acquired				$ 277.3	$ 351.8	$ 62.4
Other intangible assets
Goodwill	$ 11,400.1	$ 11,315.4		11,400.1	11,315.4	$ 11,163.2
Nondeductible goodwill					42.2
ReCommunity Holdings II, Inc.
Other intangible assets
Number of centers \| center			26
Number of states of operation \| state			14
Group 1 \| Hauling Operations
Other intangible assets
Fair value of divestiture	79.0		$ 70.0	79.0
Gain on divestiture	39.5		17.1
Waste Business Acquisitions
Purchase price:
Cash used in acquisitions, net of cash acquired				99.9	325.4
Contingent consideration				0.0	5.2
Holdbacks				11.2	7.7
Fair value, future minimum lease payments				0.0	6.0
Fair value of operations surrendered				78.6	70.1
Total				189.7	414.4
Allocated as follows:
Restricted cash	0.0	2.9		0.0	2.9
Accounts receivable	6.4	28.5		6.4	28.5
Landfill airspace	22.2	28.0		22.2	28.0
Property and equipment	28.0	130.7		28.0	130.7
Other assets	0.1	51.3		0.1	51.3
Inventory	0.2	4.3		0.2	4.3
Accounts payable	(0.3)	(6.5)		(0.3)	(6.5)
Environmental remediation liabilities	0.0	(0.8)		0.0	(0.8)
Closure and post-closure liabilities	(1.5)	(5.4)		(1.5)	(5.4)
Other liabilities	(6.1)	(25.0)		(6.1)	(25.0)
Fair value of tangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed	49.0	208.0		49.0	208.0
Excess purchase price to be allocated	140.7	206.4		140.7	206.4
Other intangible assets
Other intangible assets	27.8	25.5		27.8	25.5
Goodwill	112.9	180.9		112.9	180.9
Total allocated	140.7	206.4		140.7	206.4
Hauling, Recycling and Landfill Operations
Allocated as follows:
Property and equipment	10.3		35.2	10.3
Other intangible assets
Other intangible assets	12.4		8.8	12.4
Goodwill	$ 41.8		$ 26.1	$ 41.8
ReCommunity Holdings II, Inc.
Purchase price:
Cash used in acquisitions, net of cash acquired		167.1
Allocated as follows:
Property and equipment		50.0			50.0
Other intangible assets
Other intangible assets		3.5			3.5
Goodwill		69.1			69.1
Capital leases acquired		5.3			5.3
Deferred tax assets		$ 48.5			$ 48.5

Business Acquisitions, Investments and Restructuring Charges (Investments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Investment [Line Items]
Proceeds from noncontrolling equity interest	$ 35.8	$ 27.4
Other Noncurrent Assets
Investment [Line Items]
Payments to acquire non-controlling interest in solar energy facility	$ 82.0	$ 29.0

- Definition

This item represents the entity's proportionate share for the period of the net income (loss) of its investee (such as unconsolidated subsidiaries and joint ventures) to which the equity method of accounting is applied. This item includes income or expense related to stock-based compensation based on the investor's grant of stock to employees of an equity method investee.

+ References + Details

Business Acquisitions, Investments and Restructuring Charges (Restructuring Charges) (Details) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2016 segment	Jun. 30, 2016 center location	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) segment	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) segment
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges \| $			$ 26.4	$ 17.6	$ 40.7
Payments for restructuring \| $			$ 24.7	$ 18.6	$ 32.5
Number of reportable segments \| segment			2	2	2
Consolidation of Customer Service Locations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments \| segment	2
Number of customer service locations prior to restructuring \| location		100
Number of customer resource centers after restructuring \| center		3

Property and Equipment, Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 16,752.0	$ 15,822.1
Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization	(8,731.9)	(8,044.7)
Property and equipment, net	8,020.1	7,777.4
Land
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	443.6	433.2
Non-depletable landfill land
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	167.5	166.9
Landfill development costs
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	7,106.0	6,757.3
Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization	(3,635.9)	(3,317.3)
Vehicles and equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	7,377.3	6,954.3
Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization	(4,571.1)	(4,259.7)
Buildings and improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	1,279.8	1,221.5
Less: accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization	(524.9)	(467.7)
Construction-in-progress - landfill
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	287.9	233.2
Construction-in-progress - other
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 89.9	$ 55.7

Property and Equipment, Net (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciation, amortization and depletion	$ 1,033.4	$ 1,036.3	$ 991.1
Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciation, amortization and depletion	$ 977.0	$ 965.3	$ 919.8

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net (Schedule of Goodwill) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Summary of the activity and balances in goodwill accounts, net, by operating segment [Roll forward]
Goodwill, Beginning Balance	$ 11,315.4	$ 11,163.2
Acquisitions	112.9	180.9
Divestitures	(31.1)	(28.6)
Adjustments to Acquisitions	2.9	(0.1)
Goodwill, ending balance	11,400.1	11,315.4
Group 1
Summary of the activity and balances in goodwill accounts, net, by operating segment [Roll forward]
Goodwill, Beginning Balance	6,084.0	6,055.9
Acquisitions	94.8	57.7
Divestitures	(27.0)	(23.5)
Adjustments to Acquisitions	(1.2)	(6.1)
Goodwill, ending balance	6,150.6	6,084.0
Group 2
Summary of the activity and balances in goodwill accounts, net, by operating segment [Roll forward]
Goodwill, Beginning Balance	5,231.4	5,107.3
Acquisitions	18.1	123.2
Divestitures	(4.1)	(5.1)
Adjustments to Acquisitions	4.1	6.0
Goodwill, ending balance	$ 5,249.5	$ 5,231.4

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net (Narrative) (Details) - segment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Number of reportable segments	2	2	2
Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization period for other intangible assets	1 year
Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization period for other intangible assets	18 years

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net (Finite-lived Intangible Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Finite-lived Intangible Assets
Gross Intangible Assets, Beginning Balance	$ 775.4	$ 749.9
Gross Intangible Assets, Acquisitions	28.5	25.5
Gross Intangible Assets, Divestitures	(10.2)	0.0
Gross Intangible Assets, Ending Balance	793.7	775.4
Accumulated Amortization, Beginning Balance	(634.3)	(567.6)
Accumulated Amortization, Additions Charged to Expense	(56.8)	(66.7)
Accumulated Amortization, Divestitures	3.9	0.0
Accumulated Amortization, Ending Balance	(687.2)	(634.3)
Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2018	106.5	141.1
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 \| Other Noncurrent Assets
Finite-lived Intangible Assets
Deferred contract costs	5.7
Customer relationships, franchise and other municipal agreements
Finite-lived Intangible Assets
Gross Intangible Assets, Beginning Balance	666.0	650.8
Gross Intangible Assets, Acquisitions	27.0	15.2
Gross Intangible Assets, Divestitures	(0.6)	0.0
Gross Intangible Assets, Ending Balance	692.4	666.0
Accumulated Amortization, Beginning Balance	(554.7)	(492.5)
Accumulated Amortization, Additions Charged to Expense	(52.5)	(62.2)
Accumulated Amortization, Divestitures	0.0	0.0
Accumulated Amortization, Ending Balance	(607.2)	(554.7)
Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2018	85.2	111.3
Non-compete agreements
Finite-lived Intangible Assets
Gross Intangible Assets, Beginning Balance	35.6	32.1
Gross Intangible Assets, Acquisitions	1.5	3.5
Gross Intangible Assets, Divestitures	(0.1)	0.0
Gross Intangible Assets, Ending Balance	37.0	35.6
Accumulated Amortization, Beginning Balance	(28.5)	(25.3)
Accumulated Amortization, Additions Charged to Expense	(3.1)	(3.2)
Accumulated Amortization, Divestitures	0.1	0.0
Accumulated Amortization, Ending Balance	(31.5)	(28.5)
Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2018	5.5	7.1
Other intangible assets
Finite-lived Intangible Assets
Gross Intangible Assets, Beginning Balance	73.8	67.0
Gross Intangible Assets, Acquisitions	0.0	6.8
Gross Intangible Assets, Divestitures	(9.5)	0.0
Gross Intangible Assets, Ending Balance	64.3	73.8
Accumulated Amortization, Beginning Balance	(51.1)	(49.8)
Accumulated Amortization, Additions Charged to Expense	(1.2)	(1.3)
Accumulated Amortization, Divestitures	3.8	0.0
Accumulated Amortization, Ending Balance	(48.5)	(51.1)
Other Intangible Assets, Net as of December 31, 2018	$ 15.8	$ 22.7

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Net (Future Amortization Expense) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2019	$ 15.6
2020	13.2
2021	11.9
2022	10.6
2023	$ 9.5

Other Assets (Prepaid Expenses and Other Current Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Income tax receivable	$ 187.7	$ 59.7
Prepaid expenses	85.8	78.6
Inventories	53.1	51.2
Other non-trade receivables	34.4	28.6
Reinsurance receivable	25.7	23.1
Other current assets	4.5	6.4
Total	$ 391.2	$ 247.6

Other Assets (Other Assets) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Other Assets
Deferred compensation plan	$ 100.0		$ 99.9
Deferred contract costs and sales commissions	89.2		43.6
Investments	73.0		27.2
Reinsurance receivable	68.0		65.9
Amounts recoverable for capping, closure and post-closure obligations	30.5		29.9
Interest rate swaps and locks	12.8		27.1
Deferred financing costs	4.2		3.0
Other	40.1		38.6
Total	$ 417.8	$ 379.0	$ 335.2

Other Liabilities (Other Accrued and Other Long-Term Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Other Accrued Liabilities
Accrued payroll and benefits	$ 205.1	$ 212.2
Insurance reserves, current portion	152.9	144.8	$ 143.9
Accrued fees and taxes	124.2	129.7
Accrued dividends	121.0	114.4
Ceded insurance reserves, current portion	25.7	23.1
Accrued professional fees and legal settlement reserves	13.1	45.1
Current tax liabilities	0.2	11.7
Other	86.4	127.2
Total	728.6	808.2
Other Long-Term Liabilities
Deferred compensation plan	96.0	97.9
Contingent consideration and acquisition holdbacks	73.9	71.3
Ceded insurance reserves	68.0	65.9
Withdrawal liability - multiemployer pension funds	12.2	12.6
Legal settlement reserves	10.0	0.0
Pension and other post-retirement liabilities	6.0	7.0
Other	55.3	57.4
Total	$ 321.4	$ 312.1

Other Liabilities (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Liabilities for unpaid and incurred but not reported claims	$ 423.7	$ 420.2	$ 418.5	$ 405.8

Other Liabilities (Insurance Reserves) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Self Insurance Reserve
Balance at beginning of year	$ 420.2	$ 418.5	$ 405.8
Additions charged to expense	452.4	432.9	410.3
Payments	(461.4)	(448.0)	(400.5)
Accretion expense	0.9	1.2	1.5
Premium written for third party risk assumed	31.6	29.6	23.4
Reclassified to ceded insurance reserves	(20.0)	(14.0)	(22.0)
Balance at end of year	423.7	420.2	418.5
Less: current portion	(152.9)	(144.8)	(143.9)
Long-term portion	$ 270.8	$ 275.4	$ 274.6

Landfill and Environmental Costs (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions, ft³ in Billions		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 27, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) landfill ft³	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Environmental Exit Cost [Line Items]
Number of active solid waste landfills \| landfill		190
Total available disposal capacity (billion in-place cubic feet) \| ft³		137.7
Number of closed landfills \| landfill		129
Net increase (decrease) in amortization expense		$ (13.2)	$ (0.1)	$ (6.5)
Fair value of assets that are legally restricted for final capping, closure and post-closure obligations		29.5	28.6
Aggregate potential remediation liability, amount higher than amount recorded		372.0
Payments for management and monitoring of remediation area		48.8	54.8	66.8
Remediation liability		540.2	$ 564.0	$ 602.9	$ 646.1
Estimated possible excess loss contingency		14.0
Bridgeton Closed Landfill
Environmental Exit Cost [Line Items]
Payments for management and monitoring of remediation area		16.2
Remediation liability		161.1
Expected remediation liability to be paid during the next 12 months		15.0
Estimated possible excess loss contingency		171.0
Insurance recoveries		$ 40.0
West Lake Landfill Superfund Site
Environmental Exit Cost [Line Items]
Anticipated remediation costs	$ 229.0
West Lake Landfill Superfund Site \| Minimum
Environmental Exit Cost [Line Items]
Time period alloted for remediation	4 years
West Lake Landfill Superfund Site \| Maximum
Environmental Exit Cost [Line Items]
Time period alloted for remediation	5 years

Landfill and Environmental Costs (Accrued Landfill and Environmental Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
Landfill final capping, closure and post-closure liabilities	$ 1,292.0	$ 1,257.7	$ 1,224.6	$ 1,181.6
Environmental remediation	540.2	564.0	$ 602.9	$ 646.1
Total accrued landfill and environmental costs	1,832.2	1,821.7
Less: current portion	(130.6)	(135.2)
Long-term portion	$ 1,701.6	$ 1,686.5

Landfill and Environmental Costs (Asset Retirement Obligation Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Activity in Asset Retirement Obligation Liabilities
Asset retirement obligation liabilities, beginning of year	$ 1,257.7	$ 1,224.6	$ 1,181.6
Non-cash additions	43.9	45.2	41.0
Acquisitions, net of divestitures and other adjustments	(0.7)	(20.3)	0.8
Asset retirement obligation adjustments	(17.7)	(8.9)	(0.5)
Payments	(71.9)	(62.7)	(77.4)
Accretion expense	80.7	79.8	79.1
Asset retirement obligation liabilities, end of year	1,292.0	1,257.7	1,224.6
Less: current portion	(76.7)	(77.4)	(64.8)
Long-term portion	$ 1,215.3	$ 1,180.3	$ 1,159.8

Landfill and Environmental Costs (Expected Future Payments for Final Capping, Closure and Post-Closure) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
2019	$ 76.7
2020	89.0
2021	74.7
2022	68.3
2023	74.7
Thereafter	6,114.6
Total future payments for final capping, closure and post-closure	$ 6,498.0

Landfill and Environmental Costs (Environmental Remediation Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Activity in environmental remediation liabilities
Environmental remediation liabilities, beginning of year	$ 564.0	$ 602.9	$ 646.1
Net additions charged to expense	5.0	0.4	(1.6)
Payments	(48.8)	(54.8)	(66.8)
Accretion expense (non-cash interest expense)	20.2	21.0	23.4
Acquisitions, net of divestitures and other adjustments	(0.2)	(5.5)	1.8
Environmental remediation liabilities, end of year	540.2	564.0	602.9
Less: current portion	(53.9)	(57.8)	(77.9)
Long-term portion	$ 486.3	$ 506.2	$ 525.0

Landfill and Environmental Costs (Expected Undiscounted Future Payments for Remediation Costs) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
2018	$ 53.9
2019	104.7
2020	57.0
2021	49.2
2022	51.8
Thereafter	420.7
Total expected undiscounted future payments for remediation	$ 737.3

Debt (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018	May 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	$ 8,445,200,000		$ 8,281,700,000
Adjustments	(107,700,000)		(94,300,000)
Carrying Value	8,337,500,000		8,187,400,000
Less: current portion	(690,700,000)		(706,700,000)
Long-term portion	7,646,800,000		7,480,700,000
Credit facilities: Uncommitted facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	33,400,000		0
Adjustments	0		0
Carrying Value	33,400,000		0
Credit facilities: June 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	0		130,000,000.0
Adjustments	0		0
Carrying Value	0		130,000,000.0
Credit facilities: May 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	0		0
Adjustments	0		0
Carrying Value	0		0
Credit facilities: June 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	159,000,000.0		0
Adjustments	0		0
Carrying Value	$ 159,000,000.0		0
Senior notes: May 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.80%	3.80%
Principal	$ 0	$ 700,000,000.0	700,000,000.0
Adjustments	0		(300,000)
Carrying Value	$ 0		699,700,000
Senior notes: September 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.50%
Principal	$ 650,000,000.0		650,000,000.0
Adjustments	(900,000)		(2,100,000)
Carrying Value	$ 649,100,000		647,900,000
Senior notes: March 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.00%
Principal	$ 850,000,000.0		850,000,000.0
Adjustments	(1,000,000.0)		(1,800,000)
Carrying Value	$ 849,000,000.0		848,200,000
Senior notes: November 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.25%
Principal	$ 600,000,000.0		600,000,000.0
Adjustments	(1,200,000)		(1,500,000)
Carrying Value	$ 598,800,000		598,500,000
Senior notes: June 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.55%
Principal	$ 850,000,000.0		850,000,000.0
Adjustments	(3,600,000)		(4,600,000)
Carrying Value	$ 846,400,000		845,400,000
Senior notes: May 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.75%
Principal	$ 550,000,000.0		550,000,000.0
Adjustments	(5,500,000)		(1,000,000.0)
Carrying Value	$ 544,500,000		549,000,000.0
Senior notes: March 2025
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.20%
Principal	$ 500,000,000.0		500,000,000.0
Adjustments	(4,300,000)		(4,800,000)
Carrying Value	$ 495,700,000		495,200,000
Senior notes: June 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	2.90%
Principal	$ 500,000,000.0		500,000,000.0
Adjustments	(4,400,000)		(5,000,000.0)
Carrying Value	$ 495,600,000		$ 495,000,000.0
Senior notes: November 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.375%		3.375%
Principal	$ 650,000,000.0		$ 650,000,000.0
Adjustments	(5,900,000)		(7,000,000.0)
Carrying Value	$ 644,100,000		643,000,000.0
Senior notes: May 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.95%	3.95%
Principal	$ 800,000,000.0	$ 800,000,000.0	0
Adjustments	(17,300,000)		0
Carrying Value	$ 782,700,000		0
Senior notes: March 2035
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	6.086%			6.09%
Principal	$ 181,900,000		181,900,000
Adjustments	(14,400,000)		(14,900,000)
Carrying Value	$ 167,500,000		167,000,000.0
Senior notes: March 2040
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	6.20%			6.20%
Principal	$ 399,900,000		399,900,000
Adjustments	(3,800,000)		(3,900,000)
Carrying Value	$ 396,100,000		396,000,000.0
Senior notes: May 2041
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.70%			5.70%
Principal	$ 385,700,000		385,700,000
Adjustments	(5,300,000)		(5,500,000)
Carrying Value	$ 380,400,000		380,200,000
Debentures: May 2021
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	9.25%
Principal	$ 35,300,000		35,300,000
Adjustments	(700,000)		(1,000,000.0)
Carrying Value	$ 34,600,000		34,300,000
Debentures: September 2035
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	7.40%			7.40%
Principal	$ 148,100,000		148,100,000
Adjustments	(33,800,000)		(34,500,000)
Carrying Value	114,300,000		113,600,000
Tax-exempt: 2019 - 2044
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	1,042,400,000		1,042,400,000
Adjustments	(5,600,000)		(6,400,000)
Carrying Value	$ 1,036,800,000		1,036,000,000.0
Tax-exempt: 2019 - 2044 \| Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	1.97%
Tax-exempt: 2019 - 2044 \| Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	2.50%
Capital leases: 2019 - 2046
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal	$ 109,500,000		108,400,000
Adjustments	0		0
Carrying Value	$ 109,500,000		$ 108,400,000
Capital leases: 2019 - 2046 \| Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	3.273%
Capital leases: 2019 - 2046 \| Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	12.203%

Debt (Loss on Extinguishment of Debt and Other Related Costs) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Loss on extinguishment of debt	$ 0.3	$ 0.8	$ 196.2
Payment of premiums due on debt instruments			148.1
Early tender consideration for purchase of senior notes			28.7
Premiums paid on extinguishment of debt			1.6
Write off of deferred debt issuance costs and unamortized discounts			17.8
Non-cash interest expense			$ 7.2

Debt (Credit Facilities) (Details)	1 Months Ended
Debt (Credit Facilities) (Details)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) extension	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Balance availability under Credit Facilities		$ 1,694,100,000	$ 1,639,100,000
Borrowings outstanding from Credit Facilities		159,000,000.0	130,000,000.0
Letters of credit outstanding under our Credit Facilities		379,600,000	462,700,000
Long-term debt		8,445,200,000
Credit facilities: May 2021
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility maximum borrowing capacity	$ 1,000,000,000.0
Credit facilities: June 2019
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility maximum borrowing capacity	1,250,000,000
Uncommitted revolver, amended borrowing capacity
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility maximum borrowing capacity			135,000,000.0
Credit facilities: Uncommitted facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Long-term debt		$ 33,400,000	$ 0
Line of Credit \| Revolving Credit Facility
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Credit facility maximum borrowing capacity	$ 2,250,000,000
Number of available extensions \| extension	2
Extension period	1 year
Accordion feature, increase limit (up to)	$ 1,000,000,000.0

Debt (Senior Notes and Debentures) (Details) - USD ($)	8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Debt (Senior Notes and Debentures) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	May 31, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 8,445,200,000	$ 8,445,200,000	$ 8,281,700,000
Combined aggregate principal debentures authorized for purchase				$ 575,400,000
Payment of premiums due on debt instruments				148,100,000
Early tender consideration for purchase of senior notes				$ 28,700,000
Senior notes: May 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 800,000,000.0	$ 800,000,000.0	0		$ 800,000,000.0
Interest rate	3.95%	3.95%			3.95%
Senior notes: May 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 0	$ 0	700,000,000.0		$ 700,000,000.0
Interest rate	3.80%	3.80%			3.80%
Senior notes: November 2027
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 650,000,000.0	$ 650,000,000.0	$ 650,000,000.0
Interest rate	3.375%	3.375%	3.375%
Senior notes: March 2040
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 399,900,000	$ 399,900,000	$ 399,900,000
Interest rate	6.20%	6.20%		6.20%
Senior notes: May 2041
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 385,700,000	$ 385,700,000	385,700,000
Interest rate	5.70%	5.70%		5.70%
Debentures: September 2035
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 148,100,000	$ 148,100,000	148,100,000
Interest rate	7.40%	7.40%		7.40%
Senior notes: March 2035
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 181,900,000	$ 181,900,000	181,900,000
Interest rate	6.086%	6.086%		6.09%
Senior notes: 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount				$ 500,000,000.0
Interest rate				2.90%
Interest Rate Locks
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of ineffectiveness on cash flow hedges		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Terminated derivative, notional amount	$ 600,000,000.0
Interest Rate Locks \| Senior notes: May 2028
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Amount of ineffectiveness on cash flow hedges	0
Proceeds from issuance and retirement senior notes and certain hedging relationships	$ 31,100,000

Debt (Tax-Exempt Financings) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Debt (Tax-Exempt Financings) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt		$ 8,445,200,000
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities	$ 8,187,400,000	$ 8,337,500,000
Approval of bond Issuance by regulatory agency, maximum authorization	100,000,000.0
Percentage of tax-exempt financings remarketed		100.00%
5.25% tax exempt bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt retired	$ 86,700,000
Interest rate	5.25%
Variable rate tax exempt debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt	$ 50,000,000.0
Tax-exempt: 2019 - 2044
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt and Capital Lease Obligations, Including Current Maturities	$ 1,036,000,000.0	$ 1,036,800,000

Debt (Capital Leases) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Capital leases: 2019 - 2046
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Capital lease liabilities	$ 109.5	$ 108.4

Debt (Future Maturities of Debt) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Future maturities of debt
2019	$ 691.6
2020	926.8
2021	768.4
2022	855.9
2023	918.4
Thereafter	4,284.1
Total long term debt maturities	$ 8,445.2

Debt (Interest Paid) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Debt (Interest Paid) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest paid	$ 351.0	$ 326.9	$ 330.2

Debt (Fair Value Hedges) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Debt (Fair Value Hedges) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Notional amount	$ 300,000,000.0
Ineffective portion of changes in fair value resulting in (losses) gains, recorded in other income (expense)	1,900,000	$ 4,800,000	$ 6,300,000
Gains on the change in fair value of the hedged senior notes	5,000,000.0	5,000,000	6,300,000
Losses on related interest rate swaps	$ 5,400,000	4,200,000	$ 4,400,000
Senior notes: May 2023
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest rate	4.75%
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative assets, noncurrent	$ 2,500,000	8,000,000.0
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 \| Interest Rate Swap
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Derivative assets, noncurrent	$ 2,500,000	$ 8,000,000.0

Debt (Cash Flow Hedges) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
Debt (Cash Flow Hedges) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	$ 300,000,000.0
(Losses) gains recognized in other comprehensive income	(8,200,000)	$ 3,100,000	$ 32,400,000
Accumulated and other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	11,200,000	(11,800,000)
Effective portion of interest rate locks amortized as an adjustment to interest expense	300,000	2,700,000	9,800,000
Interest Rate Locks
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Notional amount	$ 725,000,000.0	$ 825,000,000.0
Floor interest rate	1.90%	1.90%
Cap interest rate	3.25%	2.418%
Amount of ineffectiveness on cash flow hedges	$ 0	$ 0	0
(Losses) gains recognized in other comprehensive income	(6,500,000)	(700,000)	$ 12,200,000
Interest Rate Swap
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Effective portion of interest rate locks amortized as an adjustment to Interest expense expected over the next twelve months	700,000
Other Noncurrent Liabilities \| Interest Rate Locks
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosures [Line Items]
Derivative liability	$ 10,300,000	$ 19,100,000

Income Taxes (Provision for Income Taxes) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current:
Federal	$ 128.9	$ 358.3	$ 299.5
State	46.9	48.4	34.6
Deferred:
Federal	121.5	(388.1)	44.9
State	30.6	9.1	2.3
State deferred benefit - change in valuation allowance	(4.5)	9.6	(1.4)
Uncertain tax positions and interest, and other	(40.1)	(34.2)	(27.2)
Provision for income taxes	$ 283.3	$ 3.1	$ 352.7

Income Taxes (Effective Tax Rate) (Details)	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes (Effective Tax Rate) (Details)	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Reconciliations of the statutory federal income tax rate to our effective tax
Federal statutory rate	21.00%	35.00%	35.00%
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	4.50%	3.00%	3.10%
Change in valuation allowance	(0.30%)	(0.20%)	(0.10%)
Non-deductible expenses	1.90%	1.80%	0.90%
Uncertain tax position taxes and interest	(0.50%)	0.00%	(0.10%)
Investment tax credits	(3.80%)	(1.00%)	(1.10%)
Change in U.S. Tax Law	0.00%	(36.20%)	0.00%
Other, net	(1.30%)	(2.20%)	(1.20%)
Effective income tax rate	21.50%	0.20%	36.50%

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Reduction of tax provision			$ 464.0
Transition tax expense		$ 0.3
Increase (decrease) in income tax provision	$ (473.0)	(3.7)
Income taxes paid, net of refunds received		210.0	370.0	$ 265.0
Net operating loss carryforwards		118.0
Unrecognized tax benefits if recognized that would impact effective tax rate	31.0	96.3	31.0
Unrecognized tax benefits if recognized that would not impact effective tax rate		63.0
Unrecognized tax benefits, increase resulting from prior period tax positions		75.0	1.7	0.1
Interest on income taxes accrued		2.0	3.0	1.0
Accrued liability for penalties	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.5
Accrued liability for interest related to uncertain tax positions and penalties	13.2	11.7	13.2	11.6
Accounting Standards Update 2016-09
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in income tax provision		(12.1)	(19.6)
Various Tax Credits, Resolution of Tax Matters, and Change in Tax Rates
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in income tax provision		(6.4)		(13.0)
Investment Tax Credit Carryforward
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in income tax provision		(50.0)	(13.0)	(10.0)
State and Local Jurisdiction
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in income tax provision	4.0	4.0
State and Local Jurisdiction \| SEC Schedule, 12-09, Valuation Allowance, Operating Loss Carryforward
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards		73.0
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in income tax provision	$ 4.0
Gross reduction in unrecognized tax benefits		$ 9.5	$ 8.5	$ 1.0

Income Taxes (Deferred Income Tax Asset and Liability) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Deferred tax liabilities relating to:
Differences between book and tax basis of property and equipment	$ (799.9)	$ (715.3)
Difference between book and tax basis of intangible assets	(453.3)	(446.9)
Basis difference due to redemption of partnership interests	(88.8)	(89.0)
Total liabilities	(1,342.0)	(1,251.2)
Deferred tax assets relating to:
Environmental reserves	253.2	272.5
Accruals not currently deductible	78.9	106.2
Net operating loss carryforwards	134.3	143.3
Difference between book and tax basis of other assets	13.7	27.3
Other	12.9	14.4
Total assets	493.0	563.7
Valuation allowance	(73.5)	(72.4)
Net deferred tax asset	419.5	491.3
Net deferred tax liabilities	$ (922.5)	$ (759.9)

Income Taxes (Deferred Tax Valuation Allowance) (Details) - Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Movement in Deferred Tax Valuation Allowances [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 72.4	$ 62.3	$ 63.7
Additions charged to provision for income taxes	0.9	12.9	0.3
Deferred tax assets realized or written-off	(5.9)	(2.8)	(1.4)
Other, net	0.0	0.0	(0.3)
Balance at end of year	73.5	72.4	62.3
Expirations Of State Net Operating Losses [Member]
Movement in Deferred Tax Valuation Allowances [Roll Forward]
Current year acquisitions	$ 6.1	$ 0.0	$ 0.0

Income Taxes (Unrecognized Tax Benefits) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 39.3	$ 46.1	$ 47.0
Additions based on tax positions related to current year	0.0	0.0	0.0
Additions for tax positions of prior years	75.0	1.7	0.1
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(2.3)	(8.0)	(0.7)
Reductions for tax positions resulting from lapse of statute of limitations	(5.1)	(0.5)	(0.3)
Settlements	(2.0)	0.0	0.0
Balance at end of year	$ 104.9	$ 39.3	$ 46.1

Employee Benefit Plans (Stock-Based Compensation Narrative) (Details) shares in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Reserve for stock issuance (in shares)	2.9
Stock Incentive Plan 2007 (Amended and Restated Plan)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Reserve for stock issuance (in shares)	13.4
Minimum term of options granted	7 years
Maximum term of options granted	10 years
Percentage of increments vested	25.00%
Period of increments vested	4 years
Period of options granted to non-employee directors	10 years

Employee Benefit Plans (Stock Option Activity) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Number of Shares
Number of Shares, Outstanding, beginning balance (in shares)	1.9	3.2	5.0
Number of Shares, Granted (in shares)	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number of Shares, Exercised (in shares)	(0.9)	(1.3)	(1.7)
Number of Shares, Forfeited or expired (in shares)	0.0	0.0	(0.1)
Number of Shares, Outstanding, ending balance (in shares)	1.0	1.9	3.2
Number of Shares, Exercisable (in shares)	1.0
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share, Outstanding, beginning balance (in dollars per share)	$ 30.72	$ 30.35	$ 30.08
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share, Granted (in dollars per share)	0	0	0
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share, Exercised (in dollars per share)	29.73	29.80	29.45
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share, Forfeited or expired (in dollars per share)	0	0	31.46
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share, Outstanding, ending balance (in dollars per share)	31.65	$ 30.72	$ 30.35
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share, Exercisable (in dollars per share)	$ 31.65
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (years), Outstanding	1 year 3 months 18 days
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (years), Exercisable	1 year 3 months 18 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Exercised	$ 36.5	$ 42.1	$ 33.0
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Outstanding	39.6
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Exercisable	$ 39.6

Employee Benefit Plans (Stock Options) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Compensation expense for stock options (2018 - less than $0.1 million)	$ 0.1	$ 0.1	$ 0.6
Total fair value of stock options vested during year	$ 0.4	$ 3.0	$ 5.7

Employee Benefit Plans (Restricted Stock Unit Activity) (Details) - Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Number of RSUs (in thousands)
Beginning balance (in shares)	1,775,900	1,823,800	1,727,300
Granted (in shares)	467,400	642,500	640,400
Vested and issued (in shares)	(565,000.0)	(602,500)	(370,600)
Forfeited (in shares)	(85,700)	(87,900)	(173,300)
Beginning balance (in shares)	1,592,600	1,775,900	1,823,800
Number of Restricted Stock Units, Vested and unissued (in shares)	578,400
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
Unissued, beginning balance (in dollars per share)	$ 45.48	$ 37.49	$ 34.15
Granted (in dollars per share)	64.32	59.87	45.01
Vested and Issued (in dollars per share)	41.50	36.26	30.03
Forfeited (in dollars per share)	54.84	47.86	38.77
Unissued, ending balance (in dollars per share)	51.88	$ 45.48	$ 37.49
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Vested and unissued (in dollars per share)	$ 39.24
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (years), Unissued	1 year
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Unissued	$ 114.8

Employee Benefit Plans (Restricted Stock Units) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) annual_installment shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) annual_installment shares	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) annual_installment shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average period for compensation expense recognition	6 months
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)	467,400	642,500	640,400
Number of annual vesting installments \| annual_installment	4	4	4
Period of increments vested	4 years	4 years	4 years
Compensation expense \| $	$ 24.4	$ 23.5	$ 17.4
Total unrecognized compensation expense related to outstanding restricted stock units and restricted shares \| $	$ 40.9
Weighted average period for compensation expense recognition	2 years 7 months 6 days
Restricted Stock Unit Earned As Dividend Equivalents
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)	35,071	38,986
Director \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)	36,885	47,913	49,823
Executives and Employees \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)	395,495	555,561
Executive Officer \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)			543,664
Executive Officer \| Restricted Stock Unit Earned As Dividend Equivalents
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)			46,881

Employee Benefit Plans (Performance Shares Activity) (Details) - Performance Shares - $ / shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Number of PSUs (in thousands)
Beginning balance (in shares)	798,700	504,800	143,400
Granted (in shares)	374,900	316,100	401,200
Vested and issued (in shares)	(150,700)	0	0
Forfeited (in shares)	(23,200)	(22,200)	(39,800)
Beginning balance (in shares)	999,700	798,700	504,800
Number of PSUs, Vested and unissued (in shares)	17,100
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share
Beginning balance (in dollars per share)	$ 50.52	$ 44.40	$ 38.69
Granted (in dollars per share)	62.26	60.48	46.27
Vested and Issued (in dollars per share)	39.05	0	0
Forfeited (in dollars per share)	59.76	53.79	43.60
Ending balance (in dollars per share)	55.77	$ 50.52	$ 44.40
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Share, Vested and unissued (in dollars per share)	$ 38.69

Employee Benefit Plans (Performance Shares) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average period for compensation expense recognition	6 months
Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)	374,900	316,100	401,200
Percentage of award paid in stock	50.00%
Percentage of award paid in cash	50.00%
Compensation expense	$ 20.3	$ 16.8	$ 8.6
Total unrecognized compensation expense related to outstanding restricted stock units and restricted shares	$ 19.0
Weighted average period for compensation expense recognition	10 months 24 days
Performance Shares \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded after performance period, as a percentage of targeted amount	0.00%
Performance Shares \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded after performance period, as a percentage of targeted amount	150.00%
Performance Shares Earned as Dividend Equivalents
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)	19,204	15,330	10,454
Executive Officer \| Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)	168,627	116,872	168,786
Employees Other Than Named Executive Officers \| Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares awarded (in shares)	187,036	183,908	221,958
Percentage of award paid in stock	100.00%

Employee Benefit Plans (Defined Benefit Pension Plan) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) pension_plan	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Number of qualified defined pension plans \| pension_plan	1
Pension contributions	$ 0	$ 0
Amount included in accumulated other comprehensive income not yet recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost	$ 24,500,000	$ 33,300,000
Other Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Benefits payable calculation, highest earnings service period	5 years
Benefits payable calculation, service period	10 years
Age limit for early retirement of participants under cash balance plan	55 years
Completion period of credited service for participants under cash balance plan	10 years
Years of consecutive service to be eligible to retire with full benefits	35 years
Minimum employee retirement age to receive full benefits	62 years
Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Term of obligation based on expected retirement dates	7 years
Average long-term rate of return, company goal	5.20%

Employee Benefit Plans (Accumulated Benefit Obligation) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 220.7	$ 242.8
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	242.8	239.1
Interest cost	8.2	9.3	$ 10.1
Actuarial (gain) loss	(11.1)	11.7
Benefits paid	(19.2)	(17.3)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	220.7	242.8	239.1
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	256.9	245.3
Actual return on plan assets	(6.0)	30.6
Estimated expenses	(1.6)	(1.7)
Benefits paid	(19.2)	(17.3)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	230.1	256.9	$ 245.3
Over funded status	9.4	14.1
Amounts recognized in the statement of financial position consist of:
Noncurrent assets	9.4	14.1
Net amount recognized	$ 9.4	$ 14.1
Weighted average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations:
Discount rate	4.21%	3.55%

Employee Benefit Plans (Net Periodic Benefit Cost) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Components of net periodic benefit cost:
Interest cost	$ 8.2	$ 9.3	$ 10.1
Expected return on plan assets	(11.3)	(10.8)	(11.5)
Recognized net actuarial (gain)	(1.1)	(0.4)	0.0
Amortization of prior service cost	0.1	0.1	0.1
Net periodic benefit (income)	$ (4.1)	$ (1.8)	$ (1.3)
Weighted average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost:
Discount rate	3.55%	4.07%	4.19%
Expected return on plan assets	5.35%	5.36%	5.56%

Employee Benefit Plans (Target Asset Allocation) (Details)	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target Asset Allocation	100.00%
Actual Asset Allocation	100.00%	100.00%
Debt securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target Asset Allocation	82.00%
Actual Asset Allocation	83.00%	70.00%
Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target Asset Allocation	18.00%
Actual Asset Allocation	17.00%	30.00%

Employee Benefit Plans (Fair Value Measurements) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	$ 230.1	$ 256.9	$ 245.3
Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	4.0	3.0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	226.1	253.9
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	0.0	0.0
Money market accounts
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	4.0	3.0
Money market accounts \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	4.0	3.0
Money market accounts \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	0.0	0.0
Money market accounts \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	0.0	0.0
Mutual funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	226.1	253.9
Mutual funds \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	0.0	0.0
Mutual funds \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	226.1	253.9
Mutual funds \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Fair value of plan assets	$ 0.0	$ 0.0

Employee Benefit Plans (Estimated Future Benefit Payments) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Estimated future benefit payments
2019	$ 20.4
2020	19.2
2021	18.5
2022	18.1
2023	17.2
2024 through 2027	$ 74.1

Employee Benefit Plans (Pension Plans) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Republic Contributions to Plan	$ 69.4	$ 64.7	$ 59.7
Local 731 Private Scavengers and Garage Attendants Pension Trust Fund
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Republic Contributions to Plan	9.7	10.2	9.3
Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Republic Contributions to Plan	44.3	39.5	36.3
New England Teamsters & Trucking Industry Pension
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Republic Contributions to Plan	3.2	3.2	2.8
Midwest Operating Engineers Pension Fund
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Republic Contributions to Plan	2.1	2.2	2.0
Individually significant plans
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Republic Contributions to Plan	59.3	55.1	50.4
All other plans
Multiemployer Plans [Line Items]
Republic Contributions to Plan	$ 10.1	$ 9.6	$ 9.3

Employee Benefit Plans (Collective Bargaining Agreements and Multiemployer Pension Plans) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) pension_plan	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Approximate percent of our workforce represented by various labor unions	24.00%
Approximate percent of our workforce covered by collective bargaining agreements	6.00%
Number of multi-employer pension plans under collective bargaining agreements in which company contributes \| pension_plan	26
Approximate percentage of our total current employees that are participants in multi-employer pension plans	18.00%
Contributions to pension plan amount considered to be significant	$ 69.4	$ 64.7	$ 59.7
Percentage of funded status of pension protection act critical zone maximum (up to)	65.00%
Percentage of funded status of pension protection act endangered zone maximum (less than)	80.00%
Percentage of funded status of pension protection act Safe zone minimum (at least)	80.00%
Percent of total contributions that we are listed as providing more than for Local 731 Private Scavengers and Garage Attendants Pension Trust Fund	5.00%
Multiemployer Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Contributions to pension plan amount considered to be significant	$ 2.0

Employee Benefit Plans (Defined Contribution Plan) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Percentage of employer contribution as percentage of first three percentage of eligible compensation	100.00%
Percentage of eligible compensation contributed by employer	3.00%
Percentage of employer contribution as percentage of next two percentage of eligible compensation	50.00%
Percentage of eligible compensation contributed by each employee	2.00%
Total expense recorded for matching 401(k) contributions	$ 51.7	$ 46.8	$ 40.9

Employee Benefit Plans (Deferred Compensation Plan) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred compensation plan, employee base salary deferral, maximum percentage (up to)	80.00%
Deferred compensation plan, employee bonus deferral, maximum percentage (up to)	100.00%
Deferred compensation plan, maximum contractual term	15 years
Deferred compensation plan	$ 100.0	$ 99.9
Deferred compensation plan liability	$ 96.0	$ 97.9
Employer Matching, Option 1
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred compensation plan, employer matching contribution based on participant's compensation over established 401K limits	2.00%
Employer Matching, Option 2
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred compensation plan, employer matching contribution based on percent of amount deferred	50.00%

Employee Benefit Plans (Employee Stock Purchase Plan) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Percentage of quoted market price on the last day of each calendar quarter at which employee stock purchase plan allows participants to purchase the Company's common stock	95.00%
Stock issuances under stock purchase plan (in shares)	117,153	113,941	130,085
Reserve for stock issuance (in shares)	2,900,000
Total employee contributions	$ 1.9

Share Repurchases and Dividends (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
Share Repurchases and Dividends (Details) - USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Number of shares repurchased (in shares)		10,700,000	9,600,000
Amount paid		$ 736,900,000	$ 610,700,000
Weighted average cost per share (in dollars per share)		$ 69.06	$ 63.84
Shares pending settlement (in shares)		0
Shares adding to existing share repurchase program	$ 2,000,000,000.0
Remaining authorized purchase capacity		$ 1,100,000,000
Quarterly dividend per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.375	$ 1.44	$ 1.33	$ 1.24
Cash dividends declared		$ 468,400,000	$ 446,300,000	$ 423,800,000
Quarterly dividend payable		$ 121,000,000.0	$ 114,400,000

Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Basic earnings per share:
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$ 301,000	$ 263,400	$ 234,900	$ 237,700	$ 664,400	$ 223,200	$ 202,900	$ 187,800	$ 1,036,898	$ 1,278,374	$ 612,588
Weighted average common shares outstanding (in shares)									326,897,000	337,051,000	343,024,000
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)									$ 3.17	$ 3.79	$ 1.79
Diluted earnings per share:
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$ 301,000	$ 263,400	$ 234,900	$ 237,700	$ 664,400	$ 223,200	$ 202,900	$ 187,800	$ 1,036,898	$ 1,278,374	$ 612,588
Weighted average common shares outstanding (in shares)									326,897,000	337,051,000	343,024,000
Effect of dilutive securities:
Options to purchase common stock (in shares)									745,000	1,246,000	1,076,000
Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (in shares)									328,383,000	338,981,000	344,390,000
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.92	$ 0.81	$ 0.71	$ 0.72	$ 1.98	$ 0.66	$ 0.60	$ 0.55	$ 3.16	$ 3.77	$ 1.78
Antidilutive securities not included in the diluted earnings per share calculations (in shares)									0	0	0
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Effect of dilutive securities:
Unvested awards (in shares)									250,000	346,000	190,000
Performance Shares
Effect of dilutive securities:
Unvested awards (in shares)									491,000	338,000	100,000

Segment Reporting (Narrative) (Details) - segment	12 Months Ended
Segment Reporting (Narrative) (Details) - segment	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	2	2	2

Segment Reporting (Summarized Financial Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gross Revenue									$ 11,891.9	$ 12,071.1	$ 11,355.4
Intercompany Revenue									(1,851.0)	(2,029.6)	(1,967.7)
Net Revenue	$ 2,530.0	$ 2,565.7	$ 2,517.8	$ 2,427.5	$ 2,560.0	$ 2,562.0	$ 2,526.7	$ 2,392.8	10,040.9	10,041.5	9,387.7
Depreciation, Amortization, Depletion and Accretion									1,114.1	1,116.1	1,070.2
Operating Income (Loss)	483.3	$ 440.3	$ 408.2	$ 404.2	406.8	$ 448.1	$ 425.5	$ 388.1	1,735.8	1,668.5	1,537.5
Capital Expenditures									1,071.8	989.8	927.8
Total Assets	21,617.0				21,147.0				21,617.0	21,147.0	20,629.6
Operating Segments \| Group 1
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gross Revenue									5,789.9	5,961.3	5,601.3
Intercompany Revenue									(978.0)	(1,085.0)	(1,040.4)
Net Revenue									4,811.9	4,876.3	4,560.9
Depreciation, Amortization, Depletion and Accretion									484.9	477.1	462.3
Operating Income (Loss)									1,156.9	1,135.1	1,059.4
Capital Expenditures									457.0	530.4	416.2
Total Assets	11,011.5				9,934.3				11,011.5	9,934.3	9,747.6
Operating Segments \| Group 2
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gross Revenue									5,928.0	5,844.8	5,551.6
Intercompany Revenue									(857.0)	(928.4)	(913.7)
Net Revenue									5,071.0	4,916.4	4,637.9
Depreciation, Amortization, Depletion and Accretion									493.7	508.8	490.8
Operating Income (Loss)									938.5	945.9	863.0
Capital Expenditures									515.8	362.9	375.1
Total Assets	8,999.6				9,655.4				8,999.6	9,655.4	9,349.7
Corporate entities \| Corporate entities
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gross Revenue									174.0	265.0	202.5
Intercompany Revenue									(16.0)	(16.2)	(13.6)
Net Revenue									158.0	248.8	188.9
Depreciation, Amortization, Depletion and Accretion									135.5	130.2	117.1
Operating Income (Loss)									(359.6)	(412.5)	(384.9)
Capital Expenditures									99.0	96.5	136.5
Total Assets	$ 1,605.9				$ 1,557.3				$ 1,605.9	$ 1,557.3	$ 1,532.3

Revenue (Revenue by Service Line) (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
Revenue (Revenue by Service Line) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue	$ 2,530.0	$ 2,565.7	$ 2,517.8	$ 2,427.5	$ 2,560.0	$ 2,562.0	$ 2,526.7	$ 2,392.8	$ 10,040.9	$ 10,041.5	$ 9,387.7
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									1.000	1.000	1.000
Transfer
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 537.5	$ 505.7	$ 463.5
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.054	0.050	0.049
Landfill
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 1,270.9	$ 1,238.8	$ 1,121.2
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.127	0.123	0.119
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 520.3	$ 734.6	$ 595.4
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.051	0.074	0.064
Recycling processing and commodity sales
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 298.0	$ 539.2	$ 420.4
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.030	0.054	0.045
Other non-core
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 222.3	$ 195.4	$ 175.0
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.021	0.020	0.019
Operating Segments \| Collection
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 7,517.5	$ 7,413.4	$ 7,131.2
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.749	0.738	0.760
Operating Segments \| Residential
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 2,235.1	$ 2,285.7	$ 2,239.7
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.223	0.228	0.239
Operating Segments \| Small-container
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 3,057.5	$ 2,995.6	$ 2,877.5
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.305	0.298	0.307
Operating Segments \| Large-container
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 2,181.1	$ 2,087.9	$ 1,975.8
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.217	0.208	0.210
Operating Segments \| Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 43.8	$ 44.2	$ 38.2
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.004	0.004	0.004
Operating Segments \| Transfer
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 1,243.9	$ 1,209.5	$ 1,157.6
Operating Segments \| Landfill
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									2,291.7	2,224.3	2,083.6
Operating Segments \| Energy services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ 194.7	$ 149.0	$ 76.4
Revenue as a percentage of total revenue									0.019	0.015	0.008
Intersegment Eliminations \| Transfer
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ (706.4)	$ (703.8)	$ (694.1)
Intersegment Eliminations \| Landfill
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total revenue									$ (1,020.8)	$ (985.5)	$ (962.4)

Revenue (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Revenue (Narrative) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Deferred contract costs and capitalized sales commissions
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract cost, gross	$ 89.2
Capitalized sales commissions to selling, general and administrative expenses
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract cost, amortization	11.1
Other deferred contract costs as a reduction of revenue
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Capitalized contract cost, amortization	$ 5.9
Collection Service Line
Capitalized Contract Cost [Line Items]
Standard contract term	3 years

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ 7,958.8
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	12.0	$ 3.1	$ 18.2
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(3.8)	5.3	26.5
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	8.2	8.4	44.7
Ending balance	7,927.1	7,958.8
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	22.6	14.2	(30.5)
Ending balance	30.8	22.6	14.2
Cash Flow Hedges
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	1.4	(3.3)	(41.6)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	18.5	(0.6)	11.8
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(3.8)	5.3	26.5
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	14.7	4.7	38.3
Ending balance	16.1	1.4	(3.3)
Defined Benefit Pension Plan
AOCI Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	21.2	17.5	11.1
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	(6.5)	3.7	6.4
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	0.0	0.0	0.0
Other comprehensive income, net of tax	(6.5)	3.7	6.4
Ending balance	$ 14.7	$ 21.2	$ 17.5

Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) by Component (Reclassifications) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 2,530.0	$ 2,565.7	$ 2,517.8	$ 2,427.5	$ 2,560.0	$ 2,562.0	$ 2,526.7	$ 2,392.8	$ 10,040.9	$ 10,041.5	$ 9,387.7
Cost of operations									(6,150.0)	(6,214.6)	(5,764.0)
Interest expense									(383.8)	(361.9)	(371.3)
Tax (expense) benefit									(283.3)	(3.1)	(352.7)
Net income	$ 301.1	$ 262.9	$ 235.7	$ 237.9	$ 664.5	$ 223.3	$ 203.4	$ 187.8	1,037.6	1,279.0	613.2
Total gain (loss) reclassified into earnings									3.8	(5.3)	(26.5)
Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) \| Gain (loss) on cash flow hedges
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Income before income taxes									5.1	(8.8)	(43.9)
Tax (expense) benefit									(1.3)	3.5	17.4
Net income									3.8	(5.3)	(26.5)
Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) \| Gain (loss) on cash flow hedges \| Recycling commodity hedges
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Revenue									1.1	(2.8)	0.0
Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) \| Gain (loss) on cash flow hedges \| Fuel hedges
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Cost of operations									4.3	(3.3)	(34.1)
Amount Reclassified from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) \| Gain (loss) on cash flow hedges \| Terminated interest rate locks
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Line Items]
Interest expense									$ (0.3)	$ (2.7)	$ (9.8)

Financial Instruments (Fuel Hedges) (Details) - Fuel hedges - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative asset	$ 0	$ 3,000,000.0
Derivative liability	0
Total (loss) gain recognized in other comprehensive income (the effective portion)	(1,800,000)	3,400,000	$ 20,700,000
Other Income
Derivative [Line Items]
Amounts recognized in other income, net for ineffectiveness	$ 0	$ 100,000	$ 800,000

Financial Instruments (Recycling Commodity Hedges) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income	$ 26,700,000	$ (3,700,000)	$ (20,600,000)
Recycling commodity hedges
Derivative [Line Items]
Gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income	100,000	400,000	$ (500,000)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Recycling commodity hedges
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative liability		200,000
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring \| Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 \| Recycling commodity hedges
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative asset	0
Derivative liability	$ 0	$ 200,000

Financial Instruments (Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	$ 73,900,000	$ 71,300,000
Fuel Hedges
Assets:
Commodity hedges - other current assets	0	3,000,000.0
Liabilities:
Derivative liability	0
Fair Value
Assets:
Total assets	97,700,000	152,500,000
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	70,900,000	73,300,000
Total liabilities	70,900,000	73,500,000
Fair Value \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Assets:
Total assets	37,100,000	30,300,000
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	0	0
Fair Value \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Total assets	60,600,000	122,200,000
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	0	200,000
Fair Value \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Total assets	0	0
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	70,900,000	73,300,000
Total liabilities	70,900,000	73,300,000
Fair Value \| Fuel Hedges
Assets:
Hedge derivatives - other current assets		3,000,000.0
Fair Value \| Fuel Hedges \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Assets:
Hedge derivatives - other current assets		0
Fair Value \| Fuel Hedges \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Hedge derivatives - other current assets		3,000,000.0
Fair Value \| Fuel Hedges \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Hedge derivatives - other current assets		0
Fair Value \| Interest Rate Swap
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	2,500,000	8,000,000.0
Fair Value \| Interest Rate Swap \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	0	0
Fair Value \| Interest Rate Swap \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	2,500,000	8,000,000.0
Fair Value \| Interest Rate Swap \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	0	0
Fair Value \| Interest Rate Locks
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	10,300,000	19,100,000
Fair Value \| Interest Rate Locks \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	0	0
Fair Value \| Interest Rate Locks \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	10,300,000	19,100,000
Fair Value \| Interest Rate Locks \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	0	0
Fair Value \| Commodity hedges
Liabilities:
Derivative liability		200,000
Fair Value \| Commodity hedges \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Liabilities:
Derivative liability		0
Fair Value \| Commodity hedges \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Commodity hedges - other current assets	0
Liabilities:
Derivative liability	0	200,000
Fair Value \| Commodity hedges \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Liabilities:
Derivative liability		0
Fair Value \| Money market accounts
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	37,100,000	30,300,000
Fair Value \| Money market accounts \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	37,100,000	30,300,000
Fair Value \| Money market accounts \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	0	0
Fair Value \| Money market accounts \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	0	0
Fair Value \| Bonds
Assets:
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	47,800,000	92,100,000
Fair Value \| Bonds \| Quoted Prices in Active Markets (Level 1)
Assets:
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	0	0
Fair Value \| Bonds \| Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Assets:
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	47,800,000	92,100,000
Fair Value \| Bonds \| Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Assets:
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	0	0
Carrying Amount
Assets:
Total assets	97,700,000	152,500,000
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration - other long-term liabilities	70,900,000	73,300,000
Total liabilities	70,900,000	73,500,000
Carrying Amount \| Fuel Hedges
Assets:
Hedge derivatives - other current assets		3,000,000.0
Carrying Amount \| Interest Rate Swap
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	2,500,000	8,000,000.0
Carrying Amount \| Interest Rate Locks
Assets:
Interest rate derivatives - other assets	10,300,000	19,100,000
Carrying Amount \| Commodity hedges
Liabilities:
Derivative liability		200,000
Carrying Amount \| Money market accounts
Assets:
Money market mutual funds	37,100,000	30,300,000
Carrying Amount \| Bonds
Assets:
Bonds - restricted cash and marketable securities and other assets	$ 47,800,000	$ 92,100,000

Financial Instruments (Fair Value Measurements) (Details) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2015
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total debt	$ 8,300.0	$ 8,200.0
Contingent consideration and acquisition holdbacks	73.9	71.3
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of fixed rate senior notes and debentures	8,700.0	8,800.0
Contingent consideration and acquisition holdbacks	70.9	$ 73.3
Waste Management Contract, Sonoma County
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration and acquisition holdbacks	67.0
Undiscounted future contingent payments, range of outcomes, value, low	82.0
Undiscounted future contingent payments, range of outcomes, value, high	171.0
Landfill Acquisitions
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration and acquisition holdbacks	$ 4.4
Landfill equipment \| Waste Management Contract, Sonoma County
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Estimated useful life	30 years
Measurement Input, Discount Rate \| Waste Management Contract, Sonoma County
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Business combination, contingent consideration, liability, measurement input			0.040
Measurement Input, Discount Rate \| Landfill Acquisitions
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Business combination, contingent consideration, liability, measurement input	0.043

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Losses accrued related to legal proceedings	$ 23,000,000
Loss contingency additional potential liability	14,000,000
Rent expense	87,900,000	$ 72,900,000	$ 56,800,000
Letter of credit	$ 159,000,000.0	130,000,000.0
Percentage of ownership interest in company	19.90%
Outstanding amount for land fill operations	$ 1,366,100,000
Letters of credit outstanding	0	0
Letters of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letter of credit	$ 379,600,000	$ 462,700,000
Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Lease agreement, remaining terms	1 month
Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Lease agreement, remaining terms	16 years

Commitments and Contingencies (Minimum Lease Obligations) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Future minimum lease obligations under non-cancelable operating leases
2019	$ 38.7
2020	35.1
2021	32.1
2022	27.7
2023	26.2
Thereafter	129.2
Total	$ 289.0

Commitments and Contingencies (Unconditional Purchase Commitments) (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
2019	$ 350.8
2020	83.0
2021	46.1
2022	38.5
2023	30.8
Thereafter	341.6
Total	$ 890.8

Commitments and Contingencies (Financial Instruments and Collateral) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Letters of credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Securities collateral	$ 474.2	$ 490.3
Surety bonds
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Securities collateral	$ 3,418.5	$ 3,307.3

Commitments and Contingencies (Restricted Cash and Marketable Securities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Financing proceeds	$ 0.0	$ 38.6
Capping, closure and post-closure obligations	29.5	28.6
Insurance	78.6	71.4
Other	0.0	2.5
Total restricted cash and marketable securities	$ 108.1	$ 141.1	$ 90.5

Selected Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenue	$ 2,530,000	$ 2,565,700	$ 2,517,800	$ 2,427,500	$ 2,560,000	$ 2,562,000	$ 2,526,700	$ 2,392,800	$ 10,040,900	$ 10,041,500	$ 9,387,700
Operating income	483,300	440,300	408,200	404,200	406,800	448,100	425,500	388,100	1,735,800	1,668,500	1,537,500
Net income	301,100	262,900	235,700	237,900	664,500	223,300	203,400	187,800	1,037,600	1,279,000	613,200
Net income attributable to Republic Services, Inc.	$ 301,000	$ 263,400	$ 234,900	$ 237,700	$ 664,400	$ 223,200	$ 202,900	$ 187,800	$ 1,036,898	$ 1,278,374	$ 612,588
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.92	$ 0.81	$ 0.71	$ 0.72	$ 1.98	$ 0.66	$ 0.60	$ 0.55	$ 3.16	$ 3.77	$ 1.78

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) for the period available to each share of common stock or common unit outstanding during the reporting period and to each share or unit that would have been outstanding assuming the issuance of common shares or units for all dilutive potential common shares or units outstanding during the reporting period.

+ References

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+ Details

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References + Details

- Definition

The consolidated profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, including the portion attributable to the noncontrolling interest.

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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 810
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 4K
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84234705&loc=SL4591552-111686

+ Details

Selected Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018
Environmental Exit Cost [Line Items]
Reduction of tax provision	$ 464.0
Bridgeton Closed Landfill
Environmental Exit Cost [Line Items]
Insurance recoveries		$ 40.0