Stericycle (SRCL) 10-Q 7 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	4-May-15
Document Documentand Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	STERICYCLE INC
Entity Central Index Key	861878
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Trading Symbol	SRCL
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		85,047,014

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$38,283	$22,236
Short-term investments	116	380
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $19,176 in 2015 and $19,083 in 2014	467,094	465,473
Deferred income taxes	27,331	28,322
Prepaid expenses	29,847	30,632
Other current assets	33,392	33,173
Total Current Assets	596,063	580,216
Property, Plant and Equipment, less accumulated depreciation of $374,115 in 2015 and $364,124 in 2014	446,831	460,408
Goodwill	2,419,284	2,418,832
Intangible assets, less accumulated amortization of $119,535 in 2015 and $114,922 in 2014	889,360	909,645
Other assets	31,976	32,621
Total Assets	4,383,514	4,401,722
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt	113,212	131,969
Accounts payable	120,198	114,596
Accrued liabilities	157,047	131,743
Deferred revenues	20,313	21,624
Other current liabilities	71,630	61,599
Total Current Liabilities	482,400	461,531
Long-term debt, net of current portion	1,462,177	1,527,246
Deferred income taxes	422,971	431,643
Other liabilities	65,959	64,117
Equity:
Common stock (par value $.01 per share, 120,000,000 shares authorized, 85,208,191 issued and outstanding in 2015 and 84,883,517 issued and outstanding in 2014)	852	849
Additional paid-in capital	331,428	289,211
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-206,434	-138,419
Retained earnings	1,805,059	1,743,371
Total Stericycle, Inc.’s Equity	1,930,905	1,895,012
Noncontrolling interest	19,102	22,173
Total Equity	1,950,007	1,917,185
Total Liabilities and Equity	$4,383,514	$4,401,722

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_BALANCE1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowance for doubtful accounts	$19,176	$19,083
Accumulated Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization, Property, Plant, and Equipment	374,115	364,124
Intangible assets, accumulated amortization	$119,535	$114,922
Common stock, par value	$0.01	$0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	120,000,000	120,000,000
Common stock, issued	85,208,191	84,883,517
Common stock, outstanding	85,208,191	84,883,517

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$663,319	$569,955
Costs and Expenses:
Cost of revenues (exclusive of depreciation shown below)	367,340	301,760
Depreciation - cost of revenues	14,648	12,726
Selling, general and administrative expenses (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown below)	141,363	112,180
Depreciation – selling, general and administrative expenses	4,118	3,315
Amortization	8,797	7,315
Total Costs and Expenses	536,266	437,296
Income from Operations	127,053	132,659
Other Income (Expense):
Interest income	35	20
Interest expense	-18,633	-14,918
Other expense, net	-598	-700
Total Other Expense	-19,196	-15,598
Income Before Income Taxes	107,857	117,061
Income Tax Expense	32,047	37,291
Net Income	75,810	79,770
Less: Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	352	621
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$75,458	$79,149
Earnings Per Common Share Attributable to Stericycle, Inc. Common Shareholders:
Basic	$0.89	$0.93
Diluted	$0.87	$0.91
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding:
Basic	85,037,823	85,270,046
Diluted	86,357,006	86,613,843

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME1

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$75,810	$79,770
Other Comprehensive Income/ (Loss):
Foreign currency translation adjustments	-64,501	-1,109
Amortization of cash flow hedge into income, net of tax ($54 and $50) for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)	90	79
Change in fair value of cash flow hedge, net of tax ($2,381 and $0) for the three-months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively)	-4,424	0
Total Other Comprehensive Income/ (Loss)	-68,835	-1,030
Comprehensive Income	6,975	78,740
Less: Comprehensive Income/ (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	-468	251
Comprehensive Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$7,443	$78,489

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Parenthetical) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Amortization of cash flow hedge into income, tax	$54	$50
Change in fair value of cash flow hedge, tax	$2,381	$0

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$75,810	$79,770
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Stock compensation expense	5,487	4,672
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	-8,222	-3,734
Depreciation	18,766	16,041
Amortization	8,797	7,315
Deferred income taxes	-2,957	6,175
Change in fair value of contingent consideration	-675	4,789
Other, net	5,988	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effect of acquisitions and divestitures:
Accounts receivable	-14,491	4,529
Accounts payable	5,443	5,279
Accrued liabilities	35,924	14,189
Deferred revenues	-628	2,642
Other assets and liabilities	3,312	4,182
Net cash provided by operating activities	132,554	145,849
INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired	-34,210	-12,262
Proceeds from/ (purchases of) investments	257	-1,947
Capital expenditures	-21,356	-16,420
Net cash used in investing activities	-55,309	-30,629
FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayments of long-term debt and other obligations	-9,780	-12,430
Borrowings on foreign bank debt	4,851	36,640
Repayments on foreign bank debt	-38,252	-37,157
Borrowings on term loan	250,000	0
Borrowings on senior credit facility	394,097	149,000
Repayments on senior credit facility	-670,254	-203,377
Payments on capital lease obligations	-988	-876
Purchases and cancellations of treasury stock	-11,516	-76,914
Payment for cash flow hedge	-8,833	0
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	27,452	8,655
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	8,222	3,734
Payments to noncontrolling interests	-2,603	-97
Net cash used in financing activities	-57,604	-132,822
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	-3,594	43
Net increase/ (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	16,047	-17,559
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	22,236	67,167
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	38,283	49,608
NON-CASH ACTIVITIES:
Issuances of obligations for acquisitions	$21,543	$13,095

CONDENSED_CONSOLIDATED_STATEME4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN EQUITY (USD $)	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-In Capital	Retained Earnings	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Noncontrolling Interest
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	$1,767,538	$855	$195,110	$1,610,964	($56,468)	$17,077
Beginning Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2013		85,500,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	328,146			326,456		1,690
Currency translation adjustment	-82,871				-80,221	-2,650
Change in qualifying cash flow hedge, net of tax	-1,730				-1,730
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases (in shares)		1,061,000
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases	58,562	11	58,551
Purchase/ cancellation of treasury stock (in shares)		-1,677,000
Purchase/ cancellation of treasury stock	-194,066	-17	0	-194,049
Stock compensation expense	17,773		17,773
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	17,906		17,906
Noncontrolling interests attributable to acquisitions	6,781					6,781
Reduction to noncontrolling interests due to additional ownership	-854		-129			-725
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	1,917,185	849	289,211	1,743,371	-138,419	22,173
Ending Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2014	84,883,517	84,884,000
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	75,810			75,458		352
Currency translation adjustment	-64,501				-63,681	-820
Change in qualifying cash flow hedge, net of tax	-4,334				-4,334
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases (in shares)		425,000
Issuance of common stock for exercise of options, restricted stock units and employee stock purchases	28,512	4	28,508
Purchase/ cancellation of treasury stock (in shares)	-100,713	-101,000
Purchase/ cancellation of treasury stock	-13,771	-1	0	-13,770
Stock compensation expense	5,487		5,487
Excess tax benefit of stock options exercised	8,222		8,222
Reduction to noncontrolling interests due to additional ownership	-2,603		0			-2,603
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2015	$1,950,007	$852	$331,428	$1,805,059	($206,434)	$19,102
Ending Balance (in shares) at Mar. 31, 2015	85,208,191	85,208,000

BASIS_OF_PRESENTATION

BASIS OF PRESENTATION	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION	BASIS OF PRESENTATION
	The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in annual consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. However, the Company believes the disclosures included in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are adequate to make the information presented not misleading. In our opinion, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation for the periods presented have been reflected and are of a normal recurring nature. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Stericycle, Inc. and Subsidiaries Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2014, as filed with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. The results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be achieved for the entire year ending December 31, 2015.
	There were no material changes in the Company’s critical accounting policies since the filing of its 2014 Form 10-K. As discussed in the 2014 Form 10-K, the preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amount of reported assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and revenues and expenses during the periods reported. Actual results may differ from those estimates.
	We have evaluated subsequent events through the date of filing this quarterly report on Form 10-Q. No events have occurred that would require adjustment to or disclosure in the condensed consolidated financial statements.

ACQUISITIONS_AND_DIVESTITURES

ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES	ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES
	The following table summarizes the locations of our acquisitions for the three months ended March 31, 2015:
	Acquisition Locations		2015
	United States		4
	Brazil		2
	Ireland		1
	Mexico		2
	Romania		2
	Republic of Korea		3
	Spain		1
	Total		15
	During the quarter ended March 31, 2015, we completed fifteen acquisitions. Domestically, we acquired 100% of stock of one regulated waste business and selected assets of three regulated waste businesses. Internationally, in Brazil, we acquired 100% of the stock of two regulated waste businesses. In Ireland, we acquired 100% of the stock of one regulated waste business. In Mexico, we acquired 100% of the stock of two regulated waste businesses. In Romania, we acquired selected assets of two regulated waste businesses. In Republic of Korea, we acquired selected assets of three regulated waste businesses. In Spain, we acquired selected assets of one regulated waste business.
	The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase price paid for acquisitions and other adjustments of consideration to be paid for acquisitions during the three months ended March 31:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Cash	$	34,210		$	12,262
	Promissory notes	7,618			12,654
	Deferred consideration	624			441
	Contingent consideration	13,301			—
	Total purchase price	$	55,753		$	25,357
	For financial reporting purposes, our acquisitions were accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. These acquisitions resulted in the recognition of goodwill in our financial statements reflecting the premium paid to acquire businesses that we believe are complementary to our existing operations and fit our growth strategy. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, we recognized a net increase in goodwill of $41.2 million excluding the effect of foreign currency translation (see Note 9 – Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, in the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements). A net increase of $12.2 million was assigned to our United States reportable segment, and a net increase of $29.0 million was assigned to our International reportable segment. Approximately $6 million of the goodwill recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2015 will be deductible for income taxes.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, we recognized a net increase of $19.8 million from the estimated fair value of acquired customer relationships, excluding the effect of foreign currency translation. Amortizable lives of the acquired during the quarter customer relationships ranges 15 to 20 years.
	The purchase prices for these acquisitions in excess of acquired tangible assets have been primarily allocated to goodwill and other intangibles and are preliminary, pending completion of certain intangible asset valuations and completion accounts. The following table summarizes the preliminary purchase price allocation for current period acquisitions and other adjustments to purchase price allocations during the three months ended March 31:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Fixed assets	$	(1,477	)	$	1,184
	Intangibles	19,791			14,277
	Goodwill	41,190			10,850
	Accounts receivable	4,217			2,223
	Accounts payable	(3,512		)	(659		)
	Net other (liabilities)/ assets	(1,079		)	(2,024		)
	Debt	—			321
	Net deferred tax liabilities	(3,377		)	(815		)
	Total purchase price allocation	$	55,753		$	25,357
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the Company incurred $3.3 million and $3.2 million, respectively, of acquisition related expenses. These expenses are included with "Selling, general and administrative expenses" ("SG&A") on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.

NEW_ACCOUNTING_STANDARDS

NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS	NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS
	Accounting Standards Recently Adopted
	Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity
	On January 1, 2015, we adopted guidance on the presentation and disclosures of reporting discontinued operations. The new guidance defines a discontinued operation as a disposal of a component or group of components that is disposed of or is classified as held for sale and "represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results." For disposals of individually significant components that do not qualify as discontinued operations, an entity must disclose pre-tax earnings of the disposed component. The Company has not disposed of a component of our entity and therefore the implementation of this guidance did not affect our financial position, results of operations, or disclosure requirements.
	Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted
	Revenue From Contracts With Customers
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued guidance to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The revenue guidance contains principles that an entity will apply to determine the measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized. The underlying principle is that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The standard will be effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 for public entities, with no early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the change, however it does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
	On April 1, 2015, the FASB voted to propose to defer the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by one year; although early adoption will be permitted after January 1, 2017. The FASB expects to issue an Accounting Standards Update for public comment during the second quarter of 2015.
	Accounting for Share-Based Payment When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved After the Requisite Service Period
	In June 2014, the FASB issued guidance that applies to all reporting entities that grant their employees share-based payments in which the terms of the award provide that a performance target that affects vesting could be achieved after the requisite service period. It requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition and follows existing accounting guidance for the treatment of performance conditions. The standard will be effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not have any share-based payments with a performance target and therefore does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
	Interest-Imputation of Interest
	In April 2015, the FASB issued guidance that requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the debt liability rather than as an asset. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the accounting standard update. The standard will be effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The revised standard will be adopted by the Company on January 1, 2016, will be applied retrospectively and will require reclassifications within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and statements of cash flows.  The revised standard only affects presentation and therefore will not have an impact on the Company’s results of operations.

FAIR_VALUE_MEASUREMENTS

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
	Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The fair value hierarchy distinguishes between (1) market participant assumptions developed based on market data obtained from independent sources (observable inputs) and (2) an entity's own assumptions about market participant assumptions developed based on the best information available in the circumstances (unobservable inputs). The fair value hierarchy consists of three broad levels, which gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). The three levels of the fair value hierarchy are described below:
	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.
	Financial assets and liabilities are classified in their entirety based on the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement requires judgment, and may affect the valuation of assets and liabilities and their placement within the fair value hierarchy levels. The impact of our creditworthiness has been considered in the fair value measurements noted below. In addition, the fair value measurement of a liability must reflect the nonperformance risk of an entity. There were no movements of items between fair value hierarchies.
	In thousands
						Fair Value Measurements Using
		Total as of				Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		March 31, 2015				Inputs		Inputs		Inputs
	Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	38,283			$	38,283	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments	116				116		—		—
	Derivatives financial instruments	1,057				—		1,057		—
	Total assets	$	39,456			$	38,399	$	1,057	$	—
	Liabilities:
	Contingent consideration	$	28,423			$	—	$	—	$	28,423
	Total liabilities	$	28,423			$	—	$	—	$	28,423
	In thousands
						Fair Value Measurements Using
		Total as of				Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		December 31, 2014				Inputs		Inputs		Inputs
	Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	22,236			$	22,236	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments	380				380		—		—
	Derivatives financial instruments	515				—		515		—
	Total assets	$	23,131			$	22,616	$	515	$	—
	Liabilities:
	Contingent consideration	$	19,941			$	—	$	—	$	19,941
	Derivatives financial instruments	2,408				—		2,408		—
	Total liabilities	$	22,349			$	—	$	2,408	$	19,941
	For our derivative financial instruments we use a market approach valuation technique based on observable market transactions of spot and forward rates.
	We recorded a $1.1 million asset related to the fair value of the U.S. dollar-Canadian dollar foreign currency swap which was classified as other assets at March 31, 2015. The objective of the swap is to offset the foreign exchange risk to the U.S. dollar equivalent cash outflows for our Canadian subsidiary.
	In March 2015, we cash settled a treasury lock hedge for $8.8 million of which $5.3 million, net of $3.5 million tax, was recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income. The purpose was to lock in the treasury rate on the issuance of expected private placement debt and to eliminate interest rate risk.
	We had contingent consideration liabilities recorded using Level 3 inputs in the amount of $28.4 million, of which $17.2 million was classified as current liabilities at March 31, 2015. Contingent consideration liabilities were $19.9 million at December 31, 2014. Contingent consideration represents amounts expected to be paid as part of acquisition consideration only if certain future events occur. These events are usually targets for revenues or earnings related to the business acquired. We arrive at the fair value of contingent consideration by applying a weighted probability of potential outcomes to the maximum possible payout. The calculation of these potential outcomes is dependent on both past financial performance and management assumptions about future performance. If the financial performance measures were all fully met, our maximum liability would be $29.6 million at March 31, 2015. Contingent consideration liabilities are reassessed each quarter and are reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as part of "Other current liabilities" and "Other liabilities". Changes to contingent consideration are reflected in the table below:
	In thousands
	Contingent consideration at December 31, 2014		$	19,941
	Increases due to acquisitions		13,301
	Decrease due to payments		(750		)
	Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations		(3,394		)
	Changes in fair value reflected in Selling, general, and administrative expenses		(675		)
	Contingent consideration at March 31, 2015		$	28,423
	Fair Value of Debt: At March 31, 2015, the fair value of the Company’s debt obligations was estimated, using Level 2 inputs, at $1.61 billion compared to a carrying amount of $1.58 billion. At December 31, 2014, the fair value of the Company’s debt obligations was estimated, using Level 2 inputs, at $1.67 billion compared to a carrying amount of $1.66 billion. The fair values were estimated using an income approach by applying market interest rates for comparable instruments. The Company has no current plans to retire a significant amount of its debt prior to maturity.

INCOME_TAXES

INCOME TAXES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES
	We file income tax returns in the U.S, in various states and in certain foreign jurisdictions.
	The Company has recorded accruals to cover uncertain tax positions taken on previously filed tax returns. Such liabilities relate to additional taxes, interest and penalties the Company may be required to pay in various tax jurisdictions. During the course of examinations by various taxing authorities, proposed adjustments may be asserted. The Company evaluates such items on a case-by-case basis and adjusts the accrual for uncertain tax positions. During the quarter ended March 31, 2015, we had no material changes to our accruals related to previous  or current uncertain tax positions. The effective tax rates for the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were approximately 29.7% and 31.9%, respectively. The decrease in the current quarter tax rate is primarily related to a benefit from the recognition of tax deductible goodwill associated with legal entity mergers in Spain and Brazil.

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
STOCK BASED COMPENSATION	STOCK BASED COMPENSATION
	At March 31, 2015, we had the following stock option and stock purchase plans:
	•	the 2014 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2014;
	•	the 2011 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2011;
	•	the 2008 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in May 2008;
	•	the 2005 Incentive Stock Plan, which our stockholders approved in April 2005;
	•	the 2000 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan, which expired in February 2010;
	•	the 1997 Stock Option Plan, which expired in January 2007;
	•	the 1996 Directors Stock Option Plan, which expired in May 2006; and
	•	the Employee Stock Purchase Plan ("ESPP"), which our stockholders approved in May 2001.
	Stock-Based Compensation Expense:
	The following table presents the total stock-based compensation expense resulting from stock option awards, restricted stock units ("RSUs"), and the ESPP included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income:
	In thousands
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015				2014
	Cost of revenues – stock option plan		$	23			$	7
	Selling, general and administrative – stock option plan		4,729				4,041
	Selling, general and administrative – RSUs		346				315
	Selling, general and administrative – ESPP		389				309
	Total pre-tax expense		$	5,487			$	4,672
	The following table sets forth the tax benefits related to stock compensation:
	In thousands
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015				2014
	Tax benefit recognized in Statement of Income		$	2,468			$	909
	Excess tax benefit realized		8,222				3,734
	Stock Options:
	Stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2015, is summarized as follows:
			Number of			Weighted				Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life		Total Aggregate Intrinsic Value
			Options			Average
						Exercise
						Price per
						Share
										(in years)		(in thousands)
	Outstanding at beginning of year		5,377,857			$	80.88
	Granted		860,534			130.33
	Exercised		(425,175	)		65.19
	Forfeited		(66,154	)		105.3
	Canceled or expired		(1,100	)		56.9
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015		5,745,962			$	89.17			6.27		$	294,519
	Exercisable at March 31, 2015		3,133,658			$	71.77			5.37		$	215,171
	Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015		5,476,973			$	87.92
	As of March 31, 2015, there was $42.5 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested option awards, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 3.48 years.
	The following table sets forth the total intrinsic value of options exercised in the quarter ended March 31:
	In thousands
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015				2014
	Total exercise intrinsic value of options exercised		$	29,525			$	11,796
	The total exercise intrinsic value represents the total pre-tax value (the difference between the sales price on that trading day the option was exercised and the exercise price associated with the respective option).
	The Company uses historical data to estimate expected life and volatility. The estimated fair value of stock options at the time of the grant using the Black-Scholes model option pricing model was as follows:
			Three Months Ended March 31,
			2015				2014
	Stock options granted (shares)		860,534				854,778
	Weighted average fair value at grant date (per share)		$	22.84			$	21.28
	Assumptions:
	Expected term (in years)		4.79				4.78
	Expected volatility		16.62		%		17.68		%
	Expected dividend yield		—		%		—		%
	Risk free interest rate		1.48		%		1.45		%
	Restricted Stock Units:
	Restricted stock units ("RSUs") vest at the end of three or five years. Our 2008, 2011 and 2014 Plans include a share reserve related to RSUs granted at a 2-1 ratio. A summary of the status of our non-vested RSUs and changes during the three months ended March 31, 2015, are as follows:
			Number of			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value				Total Aggregate Intrinsic Value
			Units
										(in thousands)
Non-vested at beginning of year		63,600			$	96.04
Granted		10,124			130.19
Vested and released		—			—
Forfeited		(1,470	)		100.77
Non-vested at March 31, 2015		72,254			$	100.73			$	10,147
As of March 31, 2015, there was $5.0 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to RSUs, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 2.92 years.

COMMON_STOCK

COMMON STOCK	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
COMMON STOCK	COMMON STOCK
	The following table provides information about our repurchase of shares of our common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2015:
		Number of	Amount for		Average
		Shares	Repurchases		Price Paid
		Repurchased			per Share
		and
		Canceled
			(in thousands)
	Three months ended March 31, 2015	100,713	$	13,771	$	136.74
	Three months ended March 31, 2014	685,900	$	78,340	$	114.2
	Of the 100,713 shares repurchased during the three months ended March 31, 2015, 16,000 shares in the amount of $2.3 million were not settled. This amount is recognized as part of other current liabilities on our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2015.

EARNINGS_PER_COMMON_SHARE

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE	EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE
	Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing income available to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period increased to include the number of additional shares of common stock that would have been outstanding if the potentially dilutive securities had been issued. Potentially dilutive securities include outstanding stock options, shares to be purchased under the Company’s employee stock purchase plan and RSUs. The effect of potentially dilutive securities is reflected in diluted earnings per share by application of the treasury stock method. Under the treasury stock method, an increase in the fair market value of the Company’s common stock can result in a greater dilutive effect from potentially dilutive securities.
	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
	In thousands, except share and per share data
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Numerator:
	Numerator for basic earnings per share net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$	75,458	$	79,149
	Denominator:
	Denominator for basic earnings per share-weighted average shares	85,037,823		85,270,046
	Effect of diluted securities:
	Employee stock options	1,319,183		1,343,797
	Denominator for diluted earnings per share-adjusted weighted average shares and after assumed exercises	86,357,006		86,613,843
	Earnings per share – Basic	$	0.89	$	0.93
	Earnings per share – Diluted	$	0.87	$	0.91
	For additional information regarding outstanding employee stock options, see Note 6 - Stock Based Compensation, in the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

GOODWILL_AND_OTHER_INTANGIBLE_

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS	GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
	Goodwill and other identifiable indefinite lived intangibles are not amortized, but are subject to an annual impairment test, or more frequent testing if circumstances indicate that they may be impaired.
	Goodwill:
	We have two geographical reportable segments, "United States" and "International", both of which have goodwill. We have retroactively reclassified $6.4 million of goodwill related to Puerto Rico from the United States segment to the International segment. The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill since January 1, 2014, by reportable segment, were as follows:
	In thousands
			United States				International				Total
	Balance as of January 1, 2014		$	1,671,723			$	559,859			$	2,231,582
	Goodwill acquired during year		169,754				88,263				258,017
	Purchase accounting allocation adjustments		(4,825		)		(17,595		)		(22,420		)
	Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations		(2,337		)		(46,010		)		(48,347		)
	Balance as of December 31, 2014		1,834,315				584,517				2,418,832
	Goodwill acquired during year		10,260				28,989				39,249
	Purchase accounting allocation adjustments		1,941				—				1,941
	Goodwill other changes		—				(440		)		(440		)
	Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations		(2,631		)		(37,667		)		(40,298		)
	Balance as of March 31, 2015		$	1,843,885			$	575,399			$	2,419,284
	Current year adjustments to goodwill for certain 2014 acquisitions are primarily due to the finalization of intangible asset valuations.
	Other Intangible Assets:
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the values of other intangible assets were as follows:
	In thousands
		31-Mar-15												December 31, 2014
		Gross				Accumulated				Net				Gross		Accumulated		Net
		Carrying				Amortization				Value				Carrying		Amortization		Value
		Amount												Amount
	Amortizable intangibles:
	Covenants not-to-compete	$	8,451			$	5,959			$	2,492			$	8,474	$	5,688	$	2,786
	Customer relationships	750,022				112,107				637,915				755,148		107,365		647,783
	Tradenames	4,265				880				3,385				6,062		1,313		4,749
	Technology	611				547				64				611		521		90
	Other	517				42				475				539		35		504
	Indefinite lived intangibles:
	Operating permits	239,229				—				239,229				247,933		—		247,933
	Tradenames	5,800				—				5,800				5,800		—		5,800
	Total	$	1,008,895			$	119,535			$	889,360			$	1,024,567	$	114,922	$	909,645
	During the quarter ended March 31, 2015, we wrote off $0.2 million in customer relationships, $1.2 million in operating permits, and $1.0 million in tradenames, due to rationalizing certain of our domestic and international operations (see Note 13 - Restructuring Charges in the Notes to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements). These expenses are reflected as part of SG&A on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. Under generally accepted accounting principles, a fair value must be assigned to all acquired assets based on a theoretical "market participant" regardless of the acquirer's intended use for those assets.This accounting treatment can lead to the recognition of losses when a company disposes of acquired assets. We complete our annual impairment analysis of our indefinite lived intangibles during the quarter ended December 31 of each year, or more frequently, if circumstances indicate that they may be impaired.
	Our finite-lived intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives. We have determined that our customer relationships have useful lives from 10 to 40 years based upon the type of customer, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 23.6 years. We have covenants not-to-compete intangibles with useful lives from 3 to 14 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 4.4 years. We have tradename intangibles with useful lives from 10 to 40 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 17.3 years. We have technology with a useful life of 5 years, with a weighted average remaining useful life of 1.0 years. We have determined that our permits have indefinite lives due to our ability to renew these permits with minimal additional cost, and therefore these are not amortized.
	During the quarters ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, the aggregate amortization expense was $8.8 million and $7.3 million, respectively.
	The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years, assuming no additional amortizable intangible assets, is as follows for the years ended December 31:
	In thousands
	2015		$	34,084
	2016		33,788
	2017		33,662
	2018		33,624
	2019		33,603
	Future amortization expense may fluctuate depending on changes in foreign currency rates, future acquisitions, or changes to the estimated amortizable life of the intangibles. The estimates for amortization expense noted above are based upon foreign exchange rates as of March 31, 2015.

DEBT

DEBT	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
DEBT	DEBT
	Long-term debt consisted of the following:
	In thousands
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Obligations under capital leases	$	7,427	$	9,185
	$1.2 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.72%, due in 2019	175,564		459,975
	$250 million term loan 0.92%, due in 2015	250,000		—
	$100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015	100,000		100,000
	$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017	175,000		175,000
	$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019	125,000		125,000
	$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020	225,000		225,000
	$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022	125,000		125,000
	Promissory notes and deferred consideration weighted average rate of 3.92% and weighted average maturity of 3.3 years	274,804		279,590
	Foreign bank debt weighted average rate 8.98% and weighted average maturity of 1.8 years	117,594		160,465
	Total debt	1,575,389		1,659,215
	Less: current portion of total debt	113,212		131,969
	Long-term portion of total debt	$	1,462,177	$	1,527,246
	Our $1.2 billion senior credit facility maturing in June 2019, our $250.0 million term loan maturing in July 2015, our $100.0 million private placement notes maturing April 2015, our $175.0 million private placement notes maturing in October 2017, our $125.0 million private placement notes maturing in December 2019, our $225.0 million private placement notes maturing in October 2020, and our $125.0 million private placement notes maturing in December 2022, all require us to comply with various financial, reporting and other covenants and restrictions, including a restriction on dividend payments. The financial debt covenants are the same for the senior credit facility and the private placement notes. At March 31, 2015, we were in compliance with all of our financial debt covenants.
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we had $157.7 million and $162.9 million, respectively, committed to outstanding letters of credit under our senior credit facility. The unused portion of the revolving credit facility as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 was $866.7 million and $577.1 million, respectively.
	Both our $100.0 million private placement notes that mature in April 2015 and our $250.0 million term loan that matures in July 2015 were classified as long-term debt due to our intent and ability to refinance these obligations by using other senior credit facility.

ENVIRONMENTAL_LIABILITIES

ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITIES	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITIES	ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION LIABILITIES
	We record a liability for environmental remediation when such liability becomes probable and the costs or damages can be reasonably estimated. We accrue environmental remediation costs, on an undiscounted basis, associated with identified sites where an assessment has indicated that cleanup costs are probable and can be reasonably estimated, but the timing of such payments is not fixed and determinable. Such accruals are based on currently available information, estimated timing of remedial actions, existing technology, and enacted laws and regulations. The liability for environmental remediation is included in the Consolidated Balance Sheets in current liabilities within "Accrued liabilities" and in noncurrent liabilities within "Other liabilities."
	At March 31, 2015, the total environmental remediation liabilities recorded were $32.5 million, of which $3.2 million was classified as accrued liabilities and $29.3 million was classified as other liabilities.

GEOGRAPHIC_INFORMATION

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION	GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
	Management has determined that we have two reportable segments: United States and International. Revenues are attributed to countries based on the location of customers. The same accounting principles and critical accounting policies are used in the preparation of the financial statements for both reportable segments.
	We have retroactively reclassified immaterial amounts related to Puerto Rico from the United States segment to the International segment.
	Detailed information for our United States reportable segment is as follows:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Regulated and compliance solutions revenues	$	452,269		$	366,699
	Recall and returns solutions revenues	19,979			23,064
	Total revenues	472,248			389,763
	Net interest expense	10,845			10,646
	Income before income taxes	102,890			104,492
	Income taxes	37,880			37,039
	Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$	65,010		$	67,453
	Depreciation and amortization	$	16,140		$	12,697
	Detailed information for our International reportable segment is as follows:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Regulated and compliance solutions revenues	$	191,071		$	180,192
	Net interest expense	7,753			4,252
	Income before income taxes	4,967			12,569
	Income taxes	(5,833		)	252
	Net income	10,800			12,317
	Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	352			621
	Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$	10,448		$	11,696
	Depreciation and amortization	$	11,423		$	10,659

RESTRUCTURING_CHARGES_Notes

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES (Notes)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
RESTRUCTURING CHARGES	RESTRUCTURING CHARGES
	During the first quarter of 2015, management began executing a realignment of our operations to reduce labor redundancies and facility costs. As part of this realignment, the Company recorded charges related to severance, fixed asset impairments, write-off of intangible assets, and recognition of lease expense for properties no longer used but for which we have a contractual obligation. The recorded restructuring liabilities are expected to be paid primarily within the current year. While the Company believes the recorded restructuring liabilities are adequate, revisions to current estimates may be recorded in future periods based on new information as it becomes available. There could be additional initiatives in the future to further streamline our operations. As such, the Company expects further expenses related to workforce reductions and other facility rationalization costs when those restructuring plans are finalized and related expenses are estimable.
	The following table below highlights $12.3 million pre-tax charges for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, which are reflected as part of SG&A on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
	In thousands
		United States			International			Total Charges to Income
	Employee severance and related costs	$	1,736		$	2,229		$	3,965
	Other costs	1,458			704			2,162
	Non-cash items:
	Fixed assets impairment	3,133			—			3,133
	Intangible assets impairment	2,167			247			2,414
	Other	—			628			628
	Total pre-tax restructuring expenses	$	8,494		$	3,808		$	12,302
	The following table summarizes restructuring activity during 2015 which is reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as part of "Accrued liabilities":
	In thousands
		Employee Severance and Related Costs			Other Costs			Total
	Liability balance at January 1, 2015	$	—		$	—		$	—
	Charges to income	3,965			2,162			6,127
	Payments	(1,057		)	(735		)	(1,792		)
	Other	(24		)	—			(24		)
	Liability balance at March 31, 2015	$	2,884		$	1,427		$	4,311

LEGAL_PROCEEDINGS

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS	LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
	We operate in a highly regulated industry and must deal with regulatory inquiries or investigations from time to time that may be instituted for a variety of reasons. We are also involved in a variety of civil litigation from time to time.
	Class Action Lawsuits. As we have previously disclosed, we were served on March 12, 2013 with a class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania by an individual plaintiff for itself and on behalf of all other "similarly situated" customers of ours. The complaint alleges, among other things, that we imposed unauthorized or excessive price increases and other charges on our customers in breach of our contracts and in violation of the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Practices Act. The complaint sought certification of the lawsuit as a class action and the award to class members of appropriate damages and injunctive relief.
	The Pennsylvania class action complaint was filed in the wake of a settlement with the State of New York of an investigation under the New York False Claims Act (which the class action complaint describes at some length). The New York investigation arose out of a qui tam (or "whistle blower") complaint under the federal False Claims Act and comparable state statutes which was filed under seal in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois in April 2008 by a former employee of ours. The qui tam complaint was filed on behalf of the United States and 14 states and the District of Columbia. On September 4, 2013, we filed our answer to Plaintiff-Relator’s Second Amended Complaint, generally denying the allegations therein. Also, as previously disclosed, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Virginia and North Carolina have issued civil investigative demands to explore the allegations made on their behalf in the qui tam complaint but have not yet decided whether to join the Illinois action. The qui tam case is in the early stages of discovery.
	Following the filing of the Pennsylvania class action complaint, we were served with class action complaints filed in federal court in California, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi and Utah and in state court in California. These complaints asserted claims and allegations substantially similar to those made in the Pennsylvania class action complaint. All of these cases appear to be follow-on litigation to our settlement with the State of New York. On August 9, 2013, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) granted our Motion to Transfer these related actions to the Northern District of Illinois for centralized pretrial proceedings. On December 10, 2013, we filed our answer to the Amended Consolidated Class Action Complaint in the MDL action, generally denying the allegations therein. The MDL action is in the early stages of discovery.
	We believe that we have operated in accordance with the terms of our customer contracts and that these complaints are without merit. We intend to vigorously defend ourselves against each of these lawsuits.
	We have not accrued any amounts in respect of these lawsuits, and we cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible losses that we may incur. We are unable to make such an estimate because (i) litigation is by its nature uncertain and unpredictable, (ii) the proceedings are at an early stage and (iii) in our judgment, there are no comparable proceedings against other defendants that might provide guidance in making estimates.
	Utah Proceedings. As previously disclosed, on December 3, 2014, we entered into an administrative settlement order (the "Settlement") with the State of Utah Division of Air Quality (the "DAQ") concerning a notice of violation and order to comply issued by the DAQ on May 28, 2013 and superseded by an amended notice of violation and order to comply issued on August 28, 2013 (the "NOV"). Under the Settlement, without admitting to any of the allegations contained in the NOV, we agreed to pay a civil penalty of $2.3 million, of which half, or $1.2 million , was paid within 30 days after December 3, 2014. The remaining $1.2 million will not be paid but instead will be credited to us as a Supplemental Environmental Project credit when we permanently close our North Salt Lake incineration facility which is required to occur no later than three years after we receive all permits and approvals necessary to commence construction of a new incineration facility to be located in Tooele County, Utah. The Settlement provides full and final resolution of any and all claims under the authority of the DAQ arising out of the allegations contained in the NOV and cannot be used by other parties to allege violations or negligence on our part in any other litigation or proceeding.
	Junk Fax Lawsuit. On April 2, 2014, we were served with a class action complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (Case 1:14-cv-02070) by an individual plaintiff for himself and on behalf of all other "similarly situated" persons. The complaint alleges, among other things, that we sent facsimile transmissions of unsolicited advertisements to plaintiff and others similarly situated in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, as amended by the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005 (the "TCPA"). The complaint seeks certification of the lawsuit as a class action and the award to class members of the greater of actual damages or the sum of $500 for each violation and injunctive and other relief. Under the TCPA, the statutory remedy of $500 per violation may be trebled if the Court finds the violations to be willful or knowing. On May 22, 2014, we filed our answer to the complaint, generally denying the allegations therein. Discovery in the case is proceeding.
	We have not accrued any amounts in respect of the TCPA action, and we cannot estimate the reasonably possible loss or the range of reasonably possible losses that we may incur. We are unable to make such an estimate because (i) the proceedings are at an early stage and discovery is ongoing and (ii) other reported TCPA claims have resulted in a broad range of outcomes, with each case being dependent on its own unique facts and circumstances.
	We review all of our outstanding legal proceedings with counsel quarterly, and we will disclose an estimate of any reasonably possible loss or range of reasonably possible losses if and when we are able to make such an estimate and the reasonably possible loss or range of reasonably possible losses is material to our financial statements.
	Environmental Matters. On April 22, 2014, we completed our acquisition of PSC Environmental Services, LLC ("PSC Environmental") and consequently became subject to the legal proceedings in which PSC Environmental was a party on that date. PSC Environmental’s operations are regulated by federal, state and local laws enacted to regulate the discharge of materials into the environment, remediate contaminated soil and groundwater or otherwise protect the environment. As a result of this continuing regulation, PSC Environmental frequently becomes a party to legal or administrative proceedings involving various governmental authorities and other interested parties. The issues involved in these proceedings generally relate to alleged violations of existing permits and licenses or alleged responsibility under federal or state Superfund laws to remediate contamination at properties owned either by PSC Environmental or by other parties to which either PSC Environmental or the prior owners of certain of its facilities shipped wastes.
	From time to time, PSC Environmental pays fines or penalties in regulatory proceedings relating primarily to waste treatment, storage or disposal facilities. We believe that the fines or other penalties that PSC Environmental may pay in connection with any pending regulatory proceedings of this nature will not, individually or in the aggregate, be material to our financial statements.
	On September 18, 2014, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Stericycle Specialty Waste Solutions, Inc., received a notice of violation ("NOV") from the New Mexico Environment Department ("NMED") concerning our 10-day transfer facility in Albuquerque. The violations alleged in the NOV generally relate to the management of Conditionally Exempt Small Quantity Generator ("CESQG") waste under a CESQG agreement that we have with NMED, as well as some recordkeeping matters. We have met with NMED and are currently in discussions regarding a resolution of the matters alleged in the NOV. We believe that the penalties ultimately assessed under the NOV could exceed $100,000 but that, in any event, they will not be material to our financial statements.

SUBSEQUENT_EVENT

SUBSEQUENT EVENT	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
SUBSEQUENT EVENTS	SUBSEQUENT EVENT
	The Company evaluated subsequent events through the date of filing this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.
	On April 30, 2015, we entered into a note purchase agreement with several institutional purchasers pursuant to which we will issue and sell to the purchasers $200.0 million of our new 2.67% seven-year unsecured senior notes (the "Series A notes") and $100.0 million of our new eight-year 2.74% unsecured senior notes (the "Series B notes").
	Interest will be payable in arrears semi-annually on January 1, and July 1, beginning on January 1, 2016. The principal of the Series A notes will be payable at the maturity of the notes on July 1, 2022, and the principal of the Series B notes will be payable at the maturity of the notes on July 1, 2023. The notes will be unsecured obligations.

NEW_ACCOUNTING_STANDARDS_Polic

NEW ACCOUNTING STANDARDS (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
New Accounting Standards	Accounting Standards Recently Adopted
	Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity
	On January 1, 2015, we adopted guidance on the presentation and disclosures of reporting discontinued operations. The new guidance defines a discontinued operation as a disposal of a component or group of components that is disposed of or is classified as held for sale and "represents a strategic shift that has (or will have) a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results." For disposals of individually significant components that do not qualify as discontinued operations, an entity must disclose pre-tax earnings of the disposed component. The Company has not disposed of a component of our entity and therefore the implementation of this guidance did not affect our financial position, results of operations, or disclosure requirements.
	Accounting Standards Issued But Not Yet Adopted
	Revenue From Contracts With Customers
	In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the "FASB") issued guidance to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers. The revenue guidance contains principles that an entity will apply to determine the measurement of revenue and timing of when it is recognized. The underlying principle is that an entity will recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers at an amount that the entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services. The standard will be effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016 for public entities, with no early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the change, however it does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
	On April 1, 2015, the FASB voted to propose to defer the effective date of the new revenue recognition standard by one year; although early adoption will be permitted after January 1, 2017. The FASB expects to issue an Accounting Standards Update for public comment during the second quarter of 2015.
	Accounting for Share-Based Payment When the Terms of an Award Provide That a Performance Target Could Be Achieved After the Requisite Service Period
	In June 2014, the FASB issued guidance that applies to all reporting entities that grant their employees share-based payments in which the terms of the award provide that a performance target that affects vesting could be achieved after the requisite service period. It requires that a performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition and follows existing accounting guidance for the treatment of performance conditions. The standard will be effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not have any share-based payments with a performance target and therefore does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or results of operations.
	Interest-Imputation of Interest
	In April 2015, the FASB issued guidance that requires debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the debt liability rather than as an asset. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by the accounting standard update. The standard will be effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted. The revised standard will be adopted by the Company on January 1, 2016, will be applied retrospectively and will require reclassifications within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and statements of cash flows.  The revised standard only affects presentation and therefore will not have an impact on the Company’s results of operations.

ACQUISITIONS_AND_DIVESTITURES_

ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Summary of Location of Acquisitions	The following table summarizes the locations of our acquisitions for the three months ended March 31, 2015:
	Acquisition Locations		2015
	United States		4
	Brazil		2
	Ireland		1
	Mexico		2
	Romania		2
	Republic of Korea		3
	Spain		1
	Total		15
Aggregate Purchase Price Paid for Acquisitions and Other Adjustments to Consideration	The following table summarizes the aggregate purchase price paid for acquisitions and other adjustments of consideration to be paid for acquisitions during the three months ended March 31:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Cash	$	34,210		$	12,262
	Promissory notes	7,618			12,654
	Deferred consideration	624			441
	Contingent consideration	13,301			—
	Total purchase price	$	55,753		$	25,357
Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation for Current Period Acquisitions and Other Adjustments to Purchase Price Allocations	The following table summarizes the preliminary purchase price allocation for current period acquisitions and other adjustments to purchase price allocations during the three months ended March 31:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Fixed assets	$	(1,477	)	$	1,184
	Intangibles	19,791			14,277
	Goodwill	41,190			10,850
	Accounts receivable	4,217			2,223
	Accounts payable	(3,512		)	(659		)
	Net other (liabilities)/ assets	(1,079		)	(2,024		)
	Debt	—			321
	Net deferred tax liabilities	(3,377		)	(815		)
	Total purchase price allocation	$	55,753		$	25,357

FAIR_VALUE_MEASUREMENTS_Tables

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements
	In thousands
						Fair Value Measurements Using
		Total as of				Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		March 31, 2015				Inputs		Inputs		Inputs
	Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	38,283			$	38,283	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments	116				116		—		—
	Derivatives financial instruments	1,057				—		1,057		—
	Total assets	$	39,456			$	38,399	$	1,057	$	—
	Liabilities:
	Contingent consideration	$	28,423			$	—	$	—	$	28,423
	Total liabilities	$	28,423			$	—	$	—	$	28,423
	In thousands
						Fair Value Measurements Using
		Total as of				Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
		December 31, 2014				Inputs		Inputs		Inputs
	Assets:
	Cash and cash equivalents	$	22,236			$	22,236	$	—	$	—
	Short-term investments	380				380		—		—
	Derivatives financial instruments	515				—		515		—
	Total assets	$	23,131			$	22,616	$	515	$	—
	Liabilities:
	Contingent consideration	$	19,941			$	—	$	—	$	19,941
	Derivatives financial instruments	2,408				—		2,408		—
	Total liabilities	$	22,349			$	—	$	2,408	$	19,941
Changes to Contingent Consideration	Changes to contingent consideration are reflected in the table below:
	In thousands
	Contingent consideration at December 31, 2014		$	19,941
	Increases due to acquisitions		13,301
	Decrease due to payments		(750		)
	Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations		(3,394		)
	Changes in fair value reflected in Selling, general, and administrative expenses		(675		)
	Contingent consideration at March 31, 2015		$	28,423

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION_Table

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation Expense Resulting from Stock Option Awards, Restricted stock units ("RSU") and ESPP	The following table presents the total stock-based compensation expense resulting from stock option awards, restricted stock units ("RSUs"), and the ESPP included in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015				2014
	Cost of revenues – stock option plan	$	23			$	7
	Selling, general and administrative – stock option plan	4,729				4,041
	Selling, general and administrative – RSUs	346				315
	Selling, general and administrative – ESPP	389				309
	Total pre-tax expense	$	5,487			$	4,672
Tax Benefits Related to Stock Compensation	The following table sets forth the tax benefits related to stock compensation:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015				2014
	Tax benefit recognized in Statement of Income	$	2,468			$	909
	Excess tax benefit realized	8,222				3,734
Stock Option Activity	Stock option activity for the three months ended March 31, 2015, is summarized as follows:
		Number of			Weighted				Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life		Total Aggregate Intrinsic Value
		Options			Average
					Exercise
					Price per
					Share
									(in years)		(in thousands)
	Outstanding at beginning of year	5,377,857			$	80.88
	Granted	860,534			130.33
	Exercised	(425,175	)		65.19
	Forfeited	(66,154	)		105.3
	Canceled or expired	(1,100	)		56.9
	Outstanding at March 31, 2015	5,745,962			$	89.17			6.27		$	294,519
	Exercisable at March 31, 2015	3,133,658			$	71.77			5.37		$	215,171
	Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015	5,476,973			$	87.92
Intrinsic Value of Options Exercised	in the quarter ended March 31:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015				2014
	Total exercise intrinsic value of options exercised	$	29,525			$	11,796
Assumptions used in Black-Scholes Model	The estimated fair value of stock options at the time of the grant using the Black-Scholes model option pricing model was as follows:
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015				2014
	Stock options granted (shares)	860,534				854,778
	Weighted average fair value at grant date (per share)	$	22.84			$	21.28
	Assumptions:
	Expected term (in years)	4.79				4.78
	Expected volatility	16.62		%		17.68		%
	Expected dividend yield	—		%		—		%
	Risk free interest rate	1.48		%		1.45		%
Restricted Stock Units Activity	A summary of the status of our non-vested RSUs and changes during the three months ended March 31, 2015, are as follows:
		Number of			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value				Total Aggregate Intrinsic Value
		Units
									(in thousands)
	Non-vested at beginning of year	63,600			$	96.04
	Granted	10,124			130.19
	Vested and released	—			—
	Forfeited	(1,470	)		100.77
	Non-vested at March 31, 2015	72,254			$	100.73			$	10,147

COMMON_STOCK_Tables

COMMON STOCK (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Repurchase of Shares of Common Stock	The following table provides information about our repurchase of shares of our common stock during the three months ended March 31, 2015:
		Number of	Amount for		Average
		Shares	Repurchases		Price Paid
		Repurchased			per Share
		and
		Canceled
			(in thousands)
	Three months ended March 31, 2015	100,713	$	13,771	$	136.74
	Three months ended March 31, 2014	685,900	$	78,340	$	114.2

EARNINGS_PER_COMMON_SHARE_Tabl

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Common Share	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share:
	In thousands, except share and per share data
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015		2014
	Numerator:
	Numerator for basic earnings per share net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$	75,458	$	79,149
	Denominator:
	Denominator for basic earnings per share-weighted average shares	85,037,823		85,270,046
	Effect of diluted securities:
	Employee stock options	1,319,183		1,343,797
	Denominator for diluted earnings per share-adjusted weighted average shares and after assumed exercises	86,357,006		86,613,843
	Earnings per share – Basic	$	0.89	$	0.93
	Earnings per share – Diluted	$	0.87	$	0.91

GOODWILL_AND_OTHER_INTANGIBLE_1

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill	The changes in the carrying amount of goodwill since January 1, 2014, by reportable segment, were as follows:
	In thousands
			United States				International				Total
	Balance as of January 1, 2014		$	1,671,723			$	559,859			$	2,231,582
	Goodwill acquired during year		169,754				88,263				258,017
	Purchase accounting allocation adjustments		(4,825		)		(17,595		)		(22,420		)
	Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations		(2,337		)		(46,010		)		(48,347		)
	Balance as of December 31, 2014		1,834,315				584,517				2,418,832
	Goodwill acquired during year		10,260				28,989				39,249
	Purchase accounting allocation adjustments		1,941				—				1,941
	Goodwill other changes		—				(440		)		(440		)
	Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations		(2,631		)		(37,667		)		(40,298		)
	Balance as of March 31, 2015		$	1,843,885			$	575,399			$	2,419,284
Values of Intangible Assets	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the values of other intangible assets were as follows:
	In thousands
		31-Mar-15												December 31, 2014
		Gross				Accumulated				Net				Gross		Accumulated		Net
		Carrying				Amortization				Value				Carrying		Amortization		Value
		Amount												Amount
	Amortizable intangibles:
	Covenants not-to-compete	$	8,451			$	5,959			$	2,492			$	8,474	$	5,688	$	2,786
	Customer relationships	750,022				112,107				637,915				755,148		107,365		647,783
	Tradenames	4,265				880				3,385				6,062		1,313		4,749
	Technology	611				547				64				611		521		90
	Other	517				42				475				539		35		504
	Indefinite lived intangibles:
	Operating permits	239,229				—				239,229				247,933		—		247,933
	Tradenames	5,800				—				5,800				5,800		—		5,800
	Total	$	1,008,895			$	119,535			$	889,360			$	1,024,567	$	114,922	$	909,645
Estimated Amortization Expense	The estimated amortization expense for each of the next five years, assuming no additional amortizable intangible assets, is as follows for the years ended December 31:
	In thousands
	2015		$	34,084
	2016		33,788
	2017		33,662
	2018		33,624
	2019		33,603

DEBT_Tables

DEBT (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Long-term debt consisted of the following:
	In thousands
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Obligations under capital leases	$	7,427	$	9,185
	$1.2 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.72%, due in 2019	175,564		459,975
	$250 million term loan 0.92%, due in 2015	250,000		—
	$100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015	100,000		100,000
	$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017	175,000		175,000
	$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019	125,000		125,000
	$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020	225,000		225,000
	$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022	125,000		125,000
	Promissory notes and deferred consideration weighted average rate of 3.92% and weighted average maturity of 3.3 years	274,804		279,590
	Foreign bank debt weighted average rate 8.98% and weighted average maturity of 1.8 years	117,594		160,465
	Total debt	1,575,389		1,659,215
	Less: current portion of total debt	113,212		131,969
	Long-term portion of total debt	$	1,462,177	$	1,527,246

GEOGRAPHIC_INFORMATION_Tables

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Detailed Information for Reportable Segment	Detailed information for our United States reportable segment is as follows:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Regulated and compliance solutions revenues	$	452,269		$	366,699
	Recall and returns solutions revenues	19,979			23,064
	Total revenues	472,248			389,763
	Net interest expense	10,845			10,646
	Income before income taxes	102,890			104,492
	Income taxes	37,880			37,039
	Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$	65,010		$	67,453
	Depreciation and amortization	$	16,140		$	12,697
	Detailed information for our International reportable segment is as follows:
	In thousands
		Three Months Ended March 31,
		2015			2014
	Regulated and compliance solutions revenues	$	191,071		$	180,192
	Net interest expense	7,753			4,252
	Income before income taxes	4,967			12,569
	Income taxes	(5,833		)	252
	Net income	10,800			12,317
	Less: net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	352			621
	Net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$	10,448		$	11,696
	Depreciation and amortization	$	11,423		$	10,659

RESTRUCTURING_CHARGES_Tables

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Restructuring Charges	The following table below highlights $12.3 million pre-tax charges for the quarter ended March 31, 2015, which are reflected as part of SG&A on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income.
	In thousands
		United States			International			Total Charges to Income
	Employee severance and related costs	$	1,736		$	2,229		$	3,965
	Other costs	1,458			704			2,162
	Non-cash items:
	Fixed assets impairment	3,133			—			3,133
	Intangible assets impairment	2,167			247			2,414
	Other	—			628			628
	Total pre-tax restructuring expenses	$	8,494		$	3,808		$	12,302
Restructuring Reserve	The following table summarizes restructuring activity during 2015 which is reflected in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as part of "Accrued liabilities":
	In thousands
		Employee Severance and Related Costs			Other Costs			Total
	Liability balance at January 1, 2015	$	—		$	—		$	—
	Charges to income	3,965			2,162			6,127
	Payments	(1,057		)	(735		)	(1,792		)
	Other	(24		)	—			(24		)
	Liability balance at March 31, 2015	$	2,884		$	1,427		$	4,311

ACQUISITIONS_AND_DIVESTITURES_1

ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES - Summary of Acquisition Location (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
	Entity
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	15
United States
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	4
Brazil
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
Ireland
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	1
Mexico
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
Romania
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
Republic of Korea
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	3
Spain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	1

ACQUISITIONS_AND_DIVESTITURES_2

ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES - Aggregate Purchase Price Paid for Acquisitions and Other Adjustments to Consideration (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Cash	$34,210	$12,262
Promissory notes	7,618	12,654
Deferred consideration	624	441
Contingent consideration	13,301	0
Total purchase price	$55,753	$25,357

ACQUISITIONS_AND_DIVESTITURES_3

ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES - Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation and Other Adjustments to Purchase Price Allocations (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$2,419,284	$2,418,832	$2,231,582
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fixed assets	-1,477			1,184
Intangibles	19,791			14,277
Goodwill	41,190			10,850
Accounts receivable	4,217			2,223
Accounts payable	-3,512			-659
Net other (liabilities)/ assets	-1,079			-2,024
Debt	0			321
Net deferred tax liabilities	-3,377			-815
Total purchase price allocation	$55,753			$25,357

ACQUISITIONS_AND_DIVESTITURES_4

ACQUISITIONS AND DIVESTITURES - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	15
Net increase in Goodwill	$41,200,000
Tax deductible Goodwill amount	6,000,000
Selling, general and administrative
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition related expenses	3,296,000	3,221,000
Customer relationships | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	10 years
Customer relationships | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	40 years
Acquisitions Year 2015 | Customer relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net increase in Intangible Assets	19,800,000
Acquisitions Year 2015 | Customer relationships | Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	15 years
Acquisitions Year 2015 | Customer relationships | Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	20 years
Brazil
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
Ireland
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	1
Mexico
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
Romania
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
Republic of Korea
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	3
Spain
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	1
Domestic
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	4
Domestic
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net increase in Goodwill	12,200,000
Domestic | Acquisition One | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	1
Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired	100.00%
Domestic | Acquisition Two | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	3
International
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net increase in Goodwill	$29,000,000
International | Brazil | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired	100.00%
International | Ireland | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	1
Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired	100.00%
International | Mexico | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
Business acquisition, ownership percentage acquired	100.00%
International | Romania | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	2
International | Republic of Korea | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	3
International | Spain | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of acquisitions	1

FAIR_VALUE_MEASUREMENTS_Fair_V

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Fair Value Measurements (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$38,283	$22,236
Short-term investments	116	380
Derivatives financial instruments	1,057	515
Total assets	39,456	23,131
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration	28,423	19,941
Derivatives financial instruments		2,408
Total liabilities	28,423	22,349
Level 1 Inputs [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	38,283	22,236
Short-term investments	116	380
Derivatives financial instruments	0	0
Total assets	38,399	22,616
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration	0	0
Derivatives financial instruments		0
Total liabilities	0	0
Level 2 Inputs [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Derivatives financial instruments	1,057	515
Total assets	1,057	515
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration	0	0
Derivatives financial instruments		2,408
Total liabilities	0	2,408
Level 3 Inputs [Member]
Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Derivatives financial instruments	0
Total assets	0	0
Liabilities:
Contingent consideration	28,423	19,941
Derivatives financial instruments		0
Total liabilities	$28,423	$19,941

FAIR_VALUE_MEASUREMENTS_Change

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Changes to Contingent Consideration (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Business Combination, Contingent Consideration, Liability [Roll Forward]
Contingent consideration at December 31, 2014	$19,941
Increases due to acquisitions	13,301	0
Decrease due to payments	-750
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations	-3,394
Changes in fair value reflected in Selling, general, and administrative expenses	-675	4,789
Contingent consideration at March 31, 2015	$28,423

FAIR_VALUE_MEASUREMENTS_Additi

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative asset	$1,057,000	$1,057,000		$515,000
Cash received on settled hedge	8,800,000	8,833,000	0
Settlement of hedge, amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income	5,300,000	-4,424,000	0
Settlement of hedge, tax amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income	3,500,000	2,381,000	0
Contingent consideration liabilities	28,423,000	28,423,000		19,941,000
Debt obligations, carrying amount	1,575,389,000	1,575,389,000		1,659,215,000
Maximum
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Maximum contingent liability if financial performance measures were fully met	29,600,000	29,600,000
Level 3 Inputs [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative asset	0	0
Contingent consideration liabilities	28,423,000	28,423,000		19,941,000
Level 3 Inputs [Member] | Current Liabilities [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liabilities	17,200,000	17,200,000
Level 2 Inputs [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Derivative asset	1,057,000	1,057,000		515,000
Contingent consideration liabilities	0	0		0
Debt obligations, fair value	$1,610,000,000	$1,610,000,000		$1,670,000,000

INCOME_TAXES_Details

INCOME TAXES (Details)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective tax rate	29.70%	31.90%

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION_Expen

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Expense Resulting from Stock Option Awards and ESPP (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$5,487	$4,672
Stock Options [Member] | Cost of revenues
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	23	7
Stock Options [Member] | Selling, general and administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	4,729	4,041
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Selling, general and administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	346	315
ESPP shares [Member] | Selling, general and administrative
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$389	$309

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION_Tax_B

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Tax Benefits Related to Stock Compensation (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Tax benefit recognized in Statement of Income	$2,468	$909
Excess tax benefit realized	$8,222	$3,734

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION_Stock

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Stock Option Activity (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Number of Options
Outstanding at beginning of year	5,377,857
Granted	860,534
Exercised	-425,175
Forfeited	-66,154
Canceled or expired	-1,100
Outstanding at March 31, 2015	5,745,962
Exercisable at March 31, 2015	3,133,658
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015	5,476,973
Weighted Average Exercise Price per Share
Outstanding at beginning of year	$80.88
Granted	$130.33
Exercised	$65.19
Forfeited	$105.30
Canceled or expired	$56.90
Outstanding at March 31, 2015	$89.17
Exercisable at March 31, 2015	$71.77
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2015	$87.92
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life
Outstanding at March 31, 2015	6 years 3 months 7 days
Exercisable at March 31, 2015	5 years 4 months 13 days
Total Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding at March 31, 2015	$294,519
Exercisable at March 31, 2015	$215,171

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION_Intri

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Intrinsic Value of Options Exercised (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Total exercise intrinsic value of options exercised	$29,525	$11,796

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION_Assum

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Assumptions used in Black-Scholes Model (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock options granted (shares)	860,534	854,778
Weighted average fair value at grant date	$22.84	$21.28
Expected term (in years)	4 years 9 months 15 days	4 years 9 months 11 days
Expected volatility	16.62%	17.68%
Expected dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%
Risk free interest rate	1.48%	1.45%

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION_Restr

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Restricted Stock Units Activity (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015
Number of Units
Non-vested at beginning of year	63,600
Granted	10,124
Vested and released	0
Forfeited	-1,470
Non-vested at March 31, 2015	72,254
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Per Share
Non-vested at beginning of year	$96.04
Granted	$130.19
Vested and released	$0
Forfeited	$100.77
Non-vested at March 31, 2015	$100.73
Total Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Non-vested at March 31, 2015		$10,147

STOCK_BASED_COMPENSATION_Addit

STOCK BASED COMPENSATION - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Stock Options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expenses related to non-vested option awards	$42.50
Weighted average period of recognition for unrecognized compensation expenses	3 years 5 months 23 days
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Unrecognized compensation expenses related to RSUs	$5
Weighted average period of recognition for unrecognized compensation expenses	2 years 11 months 1 day
Ratio of share reserve related to RSUs granted	2
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	3 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member] | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period	5 years

COMMON_STOCK_Repurchase_of_Sha

COMMON STOCK - Repurchase of Shares of Common Stock (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]
Number of Shares Repurchased and Canceled	100,713	685,900
Amount for Repurchases	$13,771,000	$78,340,000	$194,066,000
Average Price Paid per Share	$136.74	$114.20
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares, Not Yet Settled	16,000
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Value, Not Yet Settled	$2,300,000

EARNINGS_PER_COMMON_SHARE_Comp

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE - Computation of Basic and Diluted Net Income Per Share (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Numerator:
Numerator for basic earnings per share net income attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	$75,458	$79,149
Denominator:
Denominator for basic earnings per share-weighted average shares	85,037,823	85,270,046
Effect of diluted securities:
Employee stock options	1,319,183	1,343,797
Denominator for diluted earnings per share-adjusted weighted average shares and after assumed exercises	86,357,006	86,613,843
Earnings per share – Basic (in dollars per share)	$0.89	$0.93
Earnings per share – Diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.87	$0.91

GOODWILL_AND_OTHER_INTANGIBLE_2

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$2,418,832	$2,231,582
Goodwill acquired during year	39,249	258,017
Purchase accounting allocation adjustments	1,941	-22,420
Goodwill other changes	-440
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations	-40,298	-48,347
Ending Balance	2,419,284	2,418,832
United States
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	1,834,315	1,671,723
Goodwill acquired during year	10,260	169,754
Purchase accounting allocation adjustments	1,941	-4,825
Goodwill other changes	0
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations	-2,631	-2,337
Ending Balance	1,843,885	1,834,315
International
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	584,517	559,859
Goodwill acquired during year	28,989	88,263
Purchase accounting allocation adjustments	0	-17,595
Goodwill other changes	-440
Changes due to foreign currency fluctuations	-37,667	-46,010
Ending Balance	$575,399	$584,517

GOODWILL_AND_OTHER_INTANGIBLE_3

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Values of Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$1,008,895	$1,024,567
Accumulated Amortization	119,535	114,922
Net Value	889,360	909,645
Amortizable intangibles | Covenants not-to-compete
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	8,451	8,474
Accumulated Amortization	5,959	5,688
Net Value	2,492	2,786
Amortizable intangibles | Customer relationships
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	750,022	755,148
Accumulated Amortization	112,107	107,365
Net Value	637,915	647,783
Amortizable intangibles | Tradenames
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	4,265	6,062
Accumulated Amortization	880	1,313
Net Value	3,385	4,749
Amortizable intangibles | Technology
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	611	611
Accumulated Amortization	547	521
Net Value	64	90
Amortizable intangibles | Other
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	517	539
Accumulated Amortization	42	35
Net Value	475	504
Indefinite lived intangibles | Operating permits
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	239,229	247,933
Net Value	239,229	247,933
Indefinite lived intangibles | Tradenames
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	5,800	5,800
Net Value	$5,800	$5,800

GOODWILL_AND_OTHER_INTANGIBLE_4

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Estimated Amortization Expense (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2015	$34,084
2016	33,788
2017	33,662
2018	33,624
2019	$33,603

GOODWILL_AND_OTHER_INTANGIBLE_5

GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
	Segment
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Number of geographical reportable segments	2
Aggregate amortization expense	$8,797,000	$7,315,000
Operating permits
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Write off of intangibles	1,200,000
Customer relationships
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Write off of intangibles	200,000
Finite lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life	23 years 7 months 6 days
Customer relationships | Minimum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	10 years
Customer relationships | Maximum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	40 years
Tradenames
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Write off of intangibles	1,000,000
Finite lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life	17 years 3 months 18 days
Tradenames | Minimum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	10 years
Tradenames | Maximum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	40 years
Covenants not-to-compete
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life	4 years 4 months 24 days
Covenants not-to-compete | Minimum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	3 years
Covenants not-to-compete | Maximum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	14 years
Technology
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite lived intangible assets, weighted average remaining useful life	1 year
Technology | Minimum
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Finite-lived intangible assets, useful life	5 years
International | Puerto Rico | Goodwill
Intangible Assets by Major Class [Line Items]
Retroactive reclassification of goodwill	$6,400,000

DEBT_Schedule_of_LongTerm_Debt

DEBT - Schedule of Long-Term Debt (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$1,575,389,000	$1,659,215,000
Less: current portion of total debt	113,212,000	131,969,000
Long-term portion of total debt	1,462,177,000	1,527,246,000
Obligations under capital leases
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	7,427,000	9,185,000
$1.2 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.72%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	175,564,000	459,975,000
Maximum borrowing capacity of line of credit facility	1,200,000,000
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	1.72%
$250 million term loan 0.92%, due in 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	250,000,000	0
Long-term debt, face amount	250,000,000
$250 million term loan 0.92%, due in 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	250,000,000
Stated interest rate	0.92%
$100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	100,000,000	100,000,000
Long-term debt, face amount	100,000,000
Stated interest rate	5.64%
$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	175,000,000	175,000,000
Long-term debt, face amount	175,000,000
Stated interest rate	3.89%
$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	125,000,000	125,000,000
Long-term debt, face amount	125,000,000
Stated interest rate	2.68%
$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	225,000,000	225,000,000
Long-term debt, face amount	225,000,000
Stated interest rate	4.47%
$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	125,000,000	125,000,000
Long-term debt, face amount	125,000,000
Stated interest rate	3.26%
Promissory notes and deferred consideration weighted average rate of 3.92% and weighted average maturity of 3.3 years
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	274,804,000	279,590,000
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	3.92%
Long Term Debt Maturity	3 years 3 months 18 days
Foreign bank debt weighted average rate 8.98% and weighted average maturity of 1.8 years
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$117,594,000	$160,465,000
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	8.98%
Long Term Debt Maturity	1 year 9 months 18 days

DEBT_Additional_Information_De

DEBT - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
$1.2 billion senior credit facility weighted average rate 1.72%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Maximum borrowing capacity of line of credit facility	$1,200,000,000
Revolving credit facility, amount committed to outstanding letters of credit	157,700,000	162,900,000
Revolving credit facility, unused portion	866,700,000	577,100,000
$250 million term loan 0.92%, due in 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	250,000,000
$250 million term loan 0.92%, due in 2015 | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	250,000,000
$100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	100,000,000
$100 million private placement notes 5.64%, due in 2015 | Long-term Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	100,000,000
$175 million private placement notes 3.89%, due in 2017
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	175,000,000
$125 million private placement notes 2.68%, due in 2019
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	125,000,000
$225 million private placement notes 4.47%, due in 2020
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	225,000,000
$125 million private placement notes 3.26%, due in 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, face amount	$125,000,000

ENVIRONMENTAL_LIABILITIES_Deta

ENVIRONMENTAL LIABILITIES (Details) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Environmental Remediation Obligations [Abstract]
Environmental remediation liabilities	$32.50
Environmental remediation liabilities, classified as accrued liabilities	3.2
Environmental remediation liabilities, classified as other liabilities	$29.30

GEOGRAPHIC_INFORMATION_Detaile

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Detailed Information for Reporting Segment (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$663,319	$569,955
Income before income taxes	107,857	117,061
Income taxes	32,047	37,291
Net Income	75,810	79,770	328,146
Less: Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	352	621
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	75,458	79,149
United States
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	472,248	389,763
Net interest expense	10,845	10,646
Income before income taxes	102,890	104,492
Income taxes	37,880	37,039
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	65,010	67,453
Depreciation and amortization	16,140	12,697
United States | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	452,269	366,699
United States | Recall and Returns Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	19,979	23,064
International
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net interest expense	7,753	4,252
Income before income taxes	4,967	12,569
Income taxes	-5,833	252
Net Income	10,800	12,317
Less: Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling Interests	352	621
Net Income Attributable to Stericycle, Inc.	10,448	11,696
Depreciation and amortization	11,423	10,659
International | Regulated and Compliance Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$191,071	$180,192

GEOGRAPHIC_INFORMATION_Additio

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Additional Information (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
	Segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	2

RESTRUCTURING_CHARGES_Restruct

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Restructuring Charges (Details) (Selling, general and administrative, USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Employee severance and related costs	$3,965
Other costs	2,162
Fixed assets impairment	3,133
Intangible assets impairment	2,414
Other	628
Total pre-tax restructuring expenses	12,302
United States
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Employee severance and related costs	1,736
Other costs	1,458
Fixed assets impairment	3,133
Intangible assets impairment	2,167
Other	0
Total pre-tax restructuring expenses	8,494
International
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Employee severance and related costs	2,229
Other costs	704
Fixed assets impairment	0
Intangible assets impairment	247
Other	628
Total pre-tax restructuring expenses	$3,808

RESTRUCTURING_CHARGES_Restruct1

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES - Restructuring Reserve (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Charges to income	$6,127
Payments	-1,792
Other	-24
Accrued liabilities
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Liability balance		0
Liability balance	4,311	0
Employee severance and related costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Charges to income	3,965
Payments	-1,057
Other	-24
Employee severance and related costs | Accrued liabilities
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Liability balance		0
Liability balance	2,884	0
Other costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Charges to income	2,162
Payments	-735
Other	0
Other costs | Accrued liabilities
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Liability balance		0
Liability balance	$1,427	$0

LEGAL_PROCEEDINGS_Details

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS (Details) (USD $)	0 Months Ended
	Dec. 03, 2014	Apr. 02, 2014
Utah Division of Air Quality [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Loss Contingency, Loss in Period	$2,300,000
Loss Contingency, Initial Payment	1,200,000
Period From Settlement Date Within Which Initial Payment Was Paid	30 days
Loss Contingency, Remaining Balance To Be Credited As Supplemental Environmental Project Credit	1,200,000
Period To Close Facility	3 years
Junk Fax Lawsuit [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Estimate of possible loss, per violation		$500

SUBSEQUENT_EVENT_Details

SUBSEQUENT EVENT (Details) (Senior Notes, Subsequent Event, USD $)	0 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2015	Apr. 30, 2015
Senior Notes 2.67% Series A
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	$200,000,000	$200,000,000
Stated interest rate	2.67%	2.67%
Debt instrument, term	7 years
Senior Notes 2.74% Series B
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	$100,000,000	$100,000,000
Stated interest rate	2.74%	2.74%
Debt instrument, term	8 years