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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

Form 10-K/A

Amendment No. 1

(Mark One)

     ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021

OR

     TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from            to

Commission file number 1-12154

Waste Management, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

73-1309529

(State or other jurisdiction of

(I.R.S. Employer

incorporation or organization)

Identification No.)

800 Capitol Street

Suite 3000

Houston, Texas

77002

(Address of principal executive offices)

(Zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:

(713) 512-6200

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class

Trading Symbol

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

Common Stock, $0.01 par value

WM

New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined by Rule 405 of the Securities Act.   Yes   No

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.   Yes   No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.   Yes   No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulations S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).   Yes   No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

Non-accelerated filer

Smaller reporting company

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).   Yes   No

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2021 was approximately $58.9 billion. The aggregate market value was computed by using the closing price of the common stock as of that date on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). (For purposes of calculating this amount only, all directors and executive officers of the registrant have been treated as affiliates.)

The number of shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value, of the registrant outstanding as of February 9, 2022 was 414,586,718 (excluding treasury shares of 215,695,743).

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Document

   

Incorporated as to

Proxy Statement for the
2022 Annual Meeting of Stockholders

Part III

Auditor Name: Ernst & Young LLP

Auditor Location: Houston, Texas

Auditor Firm ID: 42

\

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This Amendment No. 1 on Form 10-K/A (“Form 10-K/A”) to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 15, 2022 (the “Original 2021 Form 10-K”), is being filed solely to revise Part II, Item 9A “Controls and Procedures” in response to a comment received from the staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Corporation Finance. This Form 10-K/A amends and restates in its entirety Part II, Item 9A of the Original 2021 Form 10-K. Except as stated above, this Form 10-K/A does not reflect events occurring after the Original 2021 Form 10-K and does not modify or update in any way the disclosures contained in the Original 2021 Form 10-K. Accordingly, this Form 10-K/A should be read in conjunction with the Original 2021 Form 10-K.

In addition, pursuant to Rule 12b-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, new certifications by the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have been included as exhibits to this Form 10-K/A.

2

Item 9A.    Controls and Procedures.

Effectiveness of Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our principal executive and financial officers, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) in ensuring that the information required to be disclosed in reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, including ensuring that such information is accumulated and communicated to management (including the principal executive and financial officers) as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Based on such evaluation, our principal executive and financial officers have concluded that such disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2021 (the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K) at a reasonable assurance level.

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management of the Company, including the principal executive and financial officers, is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Our management conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the 2013 framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). Our internal controls are designed to provide reasonable assurance as to the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of the consolidated financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and includes those policies and procedures that:

i.pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company;
ii.provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and
iii.provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management of the Company assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 based on the 2013 framework in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). Based on this assessment, management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting has been audited by Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited our consolidated financial statements, as stated in their report, which is included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2021 that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

3

PART IV

Item 15.  Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

(a)  (1) The consolidated financial statements, notes thereto and independent auditors’ report thereon, filed as part hereof, were filed as Part II, Item 8 of the Original 2021 Form 10-K.

(a)  (2) All schedules have been omitted because the required information is not significant or is included in the financial statements or notes thereto, or is not applicable.

(a)  (3) Exhibits:

Exhibit No.

Description

31.1*

Certification Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of James C. Fish, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer.

31.2*

Certification Pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 of Devina A. Rankin, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

32.1**

Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350 of James C. Fish, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer.

32.2**

Certification Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §1350 of Devina A. Rankin, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

101.INS*

Inline XBRL Instance.

101.SCH*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema.

101.CAL*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation.

101.LAB*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels.

101.PRE*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation.

101.DEF*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition.

104*

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).

*   Filed herewith.

** Furnished herewith.

4

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

WASTE MANAGEMENT, INC.

By:

/s/ JAMES C. FISH, JR.

James C. Fish, Jr.

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Date: March 29, 2022

5

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a)

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, James C. Fish, Jr., certify that:

i.   I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K/A of Waste Management, Inc.;

ii.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

iii. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

iv. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a — 15(e) and 15d — 15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a — 15(f) and 15d — 15(f)) for the registrant and have:

A.  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

B.  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

C.  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

D.  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

v.  The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

A.  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

B.  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

By:

/s/    JAMES C. FISH, JR.

James C. Fish, Jr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: March 29, 2022


UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a)

UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Devina A. Rankin, certify that:

i.   I have reviewed this report on Form 10-K/A of Waste Management, Inc.;

ii.  Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

iii. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

iv. The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a — 15(e) and 15d — 15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a — 15(f) and 15d — 15(f)) for the registrant and have:

A.  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

B.  Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

C.  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

D.  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

v.  The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

A.  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

B.  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

By:

/s/    DEVINA A. RANKIN

Devina A. Rankin

Executive Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

Date: March 29, 2022


UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

 

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Waste Management, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K/A for the period ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, James C. Fish, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

By:

/s/   JAMES C. FISH, JR.

James C. Fish, Jr.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: March 29, 2022


UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Waste Management, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K/A for the period ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Devina A. Rankin, Chief Financial Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

(1) The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

(2) The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

By:

/s/    DEVINA A. RANKIN

   Devina A. Rankin

Executive Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

Date: March 29, 2022