When it comes to simple, well-run businesses, Waste Management (WM -2.12%) definitely fits the bill. In this video clip from "Ask Us Anything" on Motley Fool Live, recorded on March 25, Fool.com contributors Tyler Crowe and Jason Hall discuss several of the company's key strengths that make it a safe investment for investors.

Tyler Crowe: One of the better ones in my portfolio, it would have to be Waste Management. When we're talking about business models, we're looking at one of the simplest, easiest, and a huge economic moat. Just basically the competitive things that it has going for it over its competition or new entrants is huge. Waste Management, very simple. They take out your trash, they put your trash in a landfill, they do some recycling, and that's about it. A majority of their revenue comes from basically tipping fees and service fees where basically it's collection from municipal facilities and things like that. It's a very consistent revenue stream. We're not going to stop taking out the trash.

A little economically sensitive, I guess you could say like a GDP up and down, maybe a slight recession. We'll see some minor declines, but it's certainly a business that isn't going anywhere anytime soon, and in terms of preserving capital, it's a great advantage. I think when we talk about competitive advantages or basically the ability to ward off other competitors that are in the market, new entrants coming in like that, just think of a landfill. How hard is it to get a landfill built, permitted, and all those things with the environmental regulations the, I guess what would you call it, getting past the town approvals or something like that in the not-in-my-backyard thing?

Jason Hall: Yeah, it's the NIMBYISM that things are great.

Tyler Crowe: If you can get past that and you have a landfill, it's basically a geographic monopoly in a region that you own and gives the trash or any waste in that area is going to you. You're going to get the tipping fees. Looking at it from the shareholder's side and the management team there, as much as they've done a great job, as much as my dog could be the CEO of Waste Management and they'd still make money, they are a good management team that has a high return on equity and reward shareholders consistently with buying back shares and a decent dividend to just manufacture additional growth for the shareholder. That to me is a definition of a very safe stock. It's a solid business, it isn't going anywhere. The management team that is looking out for shareholders.