WM Waste Management

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 11‑K

(Mark One)

☑         ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES  EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018

or

☐         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 1‑12154

WASTE MANAGEMENT RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN

Waste Management, Inc.

1001 Fannin Street

Houston, TX 77002

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

Waste Management Retirement Savings Plan

With respect to each participant whose employment relationship is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the amount of contributions by Waste Management, if any, is provided for in the applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Investment Options

The Plan offers participants diversified investment options. During 2018, the Plan offered (a) 12 common collective trust funds (including eight target retirement-date funds); (b) five mutual funds; (c) a  WM common stock fund (which is an Employee Stock Ownership Plan); (d) a stable value fund, which includes direct investments in fully benefit-responsive contracts and investments in common collective trust funds, managed by Galliard Capital Management (“Galliard”) and (e) a self-directed brokerage account, which allows participants to select various securities sold on the New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange and NASDAQ. Participants direct investment of their accounts among the investment options offered under the Plan.  A participant may make such an election on any business day. The Plan utilizes cash equivalents to temporarily hold monies pending settlement for transactions initiated by participants.

If a participant invests in the WM common stock fund, the participant can elect to receive in cash any dividends paid on the common stock in the participant’s account.  If a participant does not make such an election, dividends will automatically be reinvested in the WM common stock fund. Each participant who has invested in the WM common stock fund has the right to vote the shares of stock in his or her account with respect to any matter that comes before the shareholders for a vote.

With respect to the self-directed brokerage account, several restrictions apply and a minimum balance is required to participate. Additionally, if a participant invests in the self-directed brokerage account, the participant has the right to vote the shares of securities held in the participant’s account.

Vesting

Participants are immediately vested in their Employee Contributions, Rollover Contributions and Employer Contributions, plus earnings thereon.

Participant Accounts

Each participant’s account is credited with the participant’s Employee Contribution, Rollover Contribution and any Employer Contribution and an allocation of investment income and loss and expenses. Investment income and loss is allocated to a  participant’s account based upon a  participant’s proportionate share of the funds within the Plan.

Payment of Benefits

Upon retirement, disability or termination of employment, participants or, in the case of a participant’s death, their designated beneficiaries, may make withdrawals from their accounts as specified by the Plan. Prior to termination, participants who have reached age 59‑1/2 may withdraw from their accounts. Distributions are made by a single lump-sum payment or direct rollover. Distributions of accounts invested in WM common stock may be taken in whole shares of common stock or cash.

Participants may make withdrawals from their contributions, including certain earnings on those contributions, in the event of proven financial hardship of the participant.

Notes Receivable from Participants

Notes receivable from participants represent participant loans that are recorded at their unpaid principal balance plus any accrued but unpaid interest. Interest income on notes receivable from participants is recorded when it is earned. No allowance for credit losses has been recorded as of December 31, 2018 and 2017. If a participant ceases to make loan repayments and the Plan administrator deems the participant loan to be a distribution, the participant loan balance is reduced and a benefit payment is recorded. Participants who are active employees may obtain loans of not less than $1,000 and a maximum of 50% of a  participant’s vested accounts (excluding any amounts invested in the self-directed brokerage 

account) immediately preceding the loan grant date. In no event shall a loan exceed $50,000, reduced by the greater of (a) the highest outstanding balance of loans during the one-year period ending on the date before a new loan is made or modified or (b) the outstanding balance of loans on the date a new loan is made or modified. Not more than one loan shall be outstanding at any time, except for multiple loans which (a) result from a merger of another plan into this Plan or (b) result from a participant’s  defaulting on a loan. Interest rates and repayment terms are established by the Administrative Committee. Such loans shall be repaid by payroll deduction or any other method approved by the Administrative Committee. The Administrative Committee requires that: (a) no more than one loan per year be taken by a participant; (b) repayments be made no less frequently than quarterly; (c) loans be repaid over a period not to exceed 54 months and (d) repayments, including interest, be made in equal periodic payments over the term of the loan and applied to principal using a level amortization over the repayment period. Prepayment of a participant’s total principal amount outstanding is allowed at any time.

Administrative Expenses

Administrative expenses of the Plan are generally allocated among participants.  Loan administration fees and certain other expenses are charged directly to the account balance of the applicable participant. In 2018, Waste Management elected to pay certain audit and legal fees of the Plan.

2. Summary of Accounting Policies

Basis of Accounting

The accompanying financial statements of the Plan have been prepared using the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”). Benefits are recorded when paid to participants.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires the Plan’s  management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of net assets available for benefits as of the date of the financial statements and the changes in net assets available for benefits during the reporting period and, when applicable, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ materially from the estimates and assumptions used in the preparation of the financial statements.

Investments

Corporate stocks, mutual funds and publicly-traded partnership interests held by the Plan are stated at fair value based on quoted market prices as of the financial statement date. The fair values of the common collective trust funds held by the Plan are generally based on net asset values established by the issuer of the common collective trust funds based on fair values of the underlying assets. The investment options available within the Plan include a stable value fund that invests in fully benefit-responsive synthetic guaranteed investment contracts (“Synthetic GICs”). These investments held by the stable value fund are presented at contract value in the Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits.  See Note 3 for further discussion of Synthetic GICs.  Short-term investments (included in amounts reported as common collective trust funds herein) are stated at cost, which approximates fair value.

The Plan records purchases and sales of securities on a trade-date basis and dividends on the ex-dividend date. Interest income is recorded on the accrual basis.

Risks and Uncertainties

The Plan provides for investments in various securities that, in general, are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate, credit and overall market volatility risks. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities, it is reasonably possible that changes in the values of investment securities will occur in the near term and that such changes

could materially affect the amounts reported in the Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits and participant account balances.

New Accounting Standards Pending Adoption

In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No.  2018‑13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The ASU modifies the disclosure requirements of fair value measurements in Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 820. The ASU is effective for all reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. An entity may elect to early adopt any removed or modified disclosures upon issuance of this Update and delay the adoption of the additional disclosures until the effective date. The Company is evaluating the impact of the adoption of this ASU on the Plan financial statements.

Reclassifications

When necessary, reclassifications are made to the prior year financial information to conform to the current year presentation.

3. Investment in Stable Value Fund

The Plan includes a stable value fund that invests in fully benefit-responsive Synthetic GICs. Synthetic GICs are comprised of (a) individual assets or investments placed in a trust and (b) wrapper contracts that guarantee that participant transactions will be executed at contract value. The investment portfolio of a Synthetic GIC, when coupled with a wrapper contract, attempts to replicate the investment characteristics of traditional GICs, which provide a specified rate of return for a specific period of time.  Contract value represents principal, plus accrued interest less withdrawals.

The interest crediting rates for Synthetic GICs are calculated on a quarterly basis using the contract value, market value, yield and duration of the underlying securities, but cannot be less than zero.

There are certain events not initiated by the Plan participants that could limit the ability of the Plan to transact with the issuer at contract value. Examples of such events include, but are not limited to: material amendments to the Plan documents or administration; changes to the Plan’s competing investment options including the elimination of equity wash provisions; bankruptcy of the Plan sponsor or other events that would cause a significant withdrawal from the Plan; full or partial termination of the Plan; failure of the Plan to qualify for exemption from federal income taxes or any required prohibited transaction exemption under ERISA; any change in tax code, laws or regulations applicable to the Plan and delivery of any communication to Plan participants designed to influence participants not to invest in the fund. The Plan sponsor does not believe that the occurrence of any of these events, which would limit the Plan’s ability to transact with the issuer at its contract value, is probable.

Synthetic GICs generally are evergreen contracts that contain termination provisions, allowing the fund or the contract issuer to terminate with notice, at any time at fair value, and providing for automatic termination of the contract if the contract value or the fair value of the underlying portfolio equals zero. The issuer is obligated to pay the excess contract value when the fair value of the underlying portfolio equals zero.

Additionally, the fund also invests in a common collective trust fund, Wells Fargo/BlackRock Short Term Investment Fund S, which invests in highly liquid assets and is used for daily liquidity needs.

4. Fair Value Measurements

For purposes of the Plan’s financial reporting, 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 Plan considers the principal or most advantageous market in which the Plan 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 the Plan’s estimate of assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. The Plan had no Level 3 assets as of December 31, 2018 or 2017.

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.

The following table provides by level, within the fair value hierarchy, a summary of investments of the Plan as of December 31 measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

5. Federal Income Taxes

The Plan has received a determination letter from the IRS dated April 30, 2015, stating that the Plan, as amended and restated as of January 1, 2015, was in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Code (the "Code"),  which were timely adopted by the Plan sponsor subsequent to receipt of the determination letter. The Plan sponsor has adopted a further amendment and restatement of the Plan and subsequent amendments since receiving the determination letter.  The Plan administrator and counsel believe that the Plan is currently designed and being operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Code. If an operational issue is discovered, the Plan sponsor has indicated that it will take any necessary steps to bring the Plan’s operations into compliance with the Code.

GAAP requires plan management to evaluate uncertain tax positions taken by the Plan. The financial statement effects of a tax position are recognized when the position is more likely than not, based on the technical merits, to be sustained upon examination by the Internal Revenue Service. The Plan administrator has analyzed the tax positions taken by the Plan, and has concluded that as of December 31, 2018, there are no uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken. The Plan has recognized no interest or penalties related to uncertain tax positions. The Plan is subject to routine audits by taxing jurisdictions; however, there are currently no audits for any tax periods in progress. The Plan administrator believes it is no longer subject to income tax examinations for years prior to 2015.

6.  Reconciliation of Financial Statements to Form 5500

The following is a reconciliation of net assets available for benefits per the financial statements to the Form 5500 as of December 31:

The following is a reconciliation of the net decrease in net assets available for benefits per the financial statements to the Form 5500 for the year ended December 31, 2018:

7. Plan Termination

Although it has not expressed any intention to do so, the Company has the right to discontinue its Plan contribution at any time and to terminate the Plan subject to the provisions of ERISA.

8. Related-Party Transactions

Bank of America serves as the trustee of the Plan and is an affiliate of BAML, which is the Plan’s third-party recordkeeper and provides securities brokerage services for the self-directed brokerage account. The Plan also holds notes receivable representing participant loans. The stable value fund is managed by Galliard, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., custodian for the fund. These transactions qualify as party-in-interest transactions. Additionally, a portion of the Plan’s assets are invested in WM common stock. As WM is the Plan sponsor, transactions involving WM common stock also qualify as party-in-interest transactions. The Plan sponsor believes that all of these transactions are exempt from the prohibited transactions rules.