WASTE MANAGEMENT INC Fair Value Disclosure

16.  Fair Value Measurements

Assets and Liabilities Accounted for at Fair Value

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When measuring assets and liabilities that are required to be recorded at fair value, the Company considers the principal or most advantageous market in which the Company would transact. Fair value is estimated by applying the following hierarchy, which prioritizes the inputs used to measure fair value into three levels and bases the categorization within the hierarchy upon the lowest level of input that is available and significant to the fair value measurement:

Level 1 — Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2 — Observable inputs other than quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in inactive markets, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.

Level 3 — Inputs that are generally unobservable and typically reflect management’s estimate of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability.

We use valuation techniques that maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs. In measuring the fair value of our assets and liabilities, we use market data or assumptions that we believe market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability, including assumptions about risk when appropriate. Our assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis include the following as of December 31 (in millions):

​

​

Cash Equivalents and Money Market Funds

Cash equivalents primarily include short-term interest-bearing instruments with maturities of three months or less. We invest portions of our restricted trust funds in money market funds and we measure the fair value of these investments using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets. The fair value of our cash equivalents and money market funds approximates our cost basis in these instruments.

Equity Securities

We invest portions of our restricted trust funds in equity securities and we measure the fair value of these securities using quoted prices in active markets for identical assets. Any changes in fair value of these securities related to unrealized gains and losses have been appropriately reflected as a component of other, net in our Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Available-for-Sale Securities

Our available-for-sale securities include restricted trust funds and investments in unconsolidated entities as discussed in Note 18. We invest primarily in debt securities, including U.S. Treasury securities, U.S. agency securities, municipal securities and mortgage- and asset-backed securities, which generally mature over the next ten years. We measure the fair value of these securities using quoted prices for identical or similar assets in inactive markets. Any changes in fair value of these trusts related to unrealized gains and losses have been appropriately reflected as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

Fair Value of Debt

As of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the carrying value of our debt was $22.9 billion and $23.9 billion, respectively. The estimated fair value of our debt was approximately $22.5 billion and $22.9 billion as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively.

Although we have determined the estimated fair value amounts using available market information and commonly accepted valuation methodologies, considerable judgment is required in interpreting market data to develop the estimates of fair value. Accordingly, our estimates are not necessarily indicative of the amounts that we, or holders of the instruments, could realize in a current market exchange. The use of different assumptions or estimation methodologies could have a material effect on the estimated fair values. The fair value estimates are based on Level 2 inputs of the fair value hierarchy available as of December 31, 2025 and 2024. These amounts have not been revalued since those dates, and current estimates of fair value could differ significantly from the amounts presented.

​

See Note 11 for information related to our nonrecurring fair value measurements. See Note 17 for information related to the nonrecurring fair value measurement of assets and liabilities acquired in connection with our acquisition of Stericycle.