Financial Instruments and Risk Management (Details 3) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Cash Flow Hedge - Reclassified Amount from Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)	$ (6.8)	$ (22.7)	$ (8.8)	$ (37.4)
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives not Designated as Hedge Instruments	(111.1)	(13.3)	(58.8)	(17.9)
Amounts reclassified into earnings:
Commodity contracts	7.1	22.7	8.5	37.4
Interest rate contracts		(0.1)	0.1	0.2
Currency exchange contracts	(0.3)	0.1	0.2	(0.2)
Change in fair value of cash flow hedges:
Commodity contracts	(11.9)	1.4	(22.9)	8.1
Interest rate contracts	(0.3)	0.2	(0.6)	(0.2)
Currency exchange contracts	4.1	(0.7)	(1.9)	(1.9)
Foreign Currency and tax impacts	(1.0)	(2.0)	2.3	(5.3)
Changes in accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) for effective derivatives	(2.3)	21.6	(14.3)	38.1
Commodity contracts \| Net sales
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Cash Flow Hedge - Reclassified Amount from Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)	1.3	(2.5)	2.1	(3.0)
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives not Designated as Hedge Instruments	0.2	3.2	0.9	3.4
Commodity contracts \| Cost of sales
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Cash Flow Hedge - Reclassified Amount from Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)	(8.4)	(20.2)	(10.6)	(34.4)
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives not Designated as Hedge Instruments	(2.1)	1.5	(4.8)	2.1
Interest rate contracts \| Interest expense.
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Cash Flow Hedge - Reclassified Amount from Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)		0.1	(0.1)	(0.2)
Interest rate contracts \| Debt refinancing and other costs
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives not Designated as Hedge Instruments	(15.0)		(10.0)
Foreign currency contracts \| Cost of sales
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Cash Flow Hedge - Reclassified Amount from Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)	0.3		(0.2)	0.2
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives not Designated as Hedge Instruments	1.6	(0.7)	2.2	(0.2)
Foreign currency contracts \| Selling, general and administrative
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Cash Flow Hedge - Reclassified Amount from Other Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)		(0.1)
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives not Designated as Hedge Instruments	17.0	(13.7)	(4.4)	(19.3)
Foreign currency contracts \| Business consolidation and other activities
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives not Designated as Hedge Instruments	(104.6)		(36.3)
Equity contracts \| Selling, general and administrative
Impact on Earnings from Derivative Instruments
Gain (Loss) on Derivatives not Designated as Hedge Instruments	$ (8.2)	$ (3.6)	$ (6.4)	$ (3.9)

No definition available.

Name:	bll_ChangeInFairValueOfCashFlowHedgesAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the foreign currency translation adjustments and total tax effect of the change in accumulated gains and losses from derivative instruments designated and qualifying as the effective portion of cash flow hedges.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	bll_OtherComprehensiveIncomeDerivativesQualifyingAsHedgesForeignCurrencyTranslationAdjustmentAndTaxEffect
Namespace Prefix:	bll_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective portion of net gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4C

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5624171-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4D

-Subparagraph (b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5624177-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossReclassifiedFromAccumulatedOCIIntoIncomeEffectivePortionNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossReclassifiedFromAccumulatedOCIIntoIncomeEffectivePortionNetAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of realized and unrealized gain (loss) of derivative instruments not designated or qualifying as hedging instruments.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsNotDesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentsGainLossNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of net gains or losses on foreign currency cash flow hedges reclassified during the period to earnings from accumulated other comprehensive income upon the hedged transaction affecting earnings.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ForeignCurrencyCashFlowHedgeGainLossReclassifiedToEarningsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of net gains or losses on interest rate cash flow hedges reclassified during the period to earnings from accumulated other comprehensive income upon the hedged transaction affecting earnings.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_InterestRateCashFlowHedgeGainLossReclassifiedToEarningsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount after tax and reclassification adjustments, of increase (decrease) in accumulated gain (loss) from derivative instruments designated and qualifying as the effective portion of cash flow hedges and an entity's share of an equity investee's increase (decrease) in deferred hedging gain (loss), attributable to parent entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 20

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51664549&loc=SL4569643-111683

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 19

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51664549&loc=SL4569616-111683

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1A

-Subparagraph (c)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733093&loc=SL4573702-111684

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_OtherComprehensiveIncomeDerivativesQualifyingAsHedgesNetOfTaxPortionAttributableToParent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of net gains or losses on price risk cash flow hedges reclassified during the period to earnings from accumulated other comprehensive income.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PriceRiskCashFlowHedgeGainOrLossReclassifiedToEarningsNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of net unrealized gain (loss) related to the change in fair value of foreign currency exchange rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments. Recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income to the extent that the cash flow hedge is determined to be effective.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnForeignCurrencyDerivativesNetBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrealized gain (loss) related to the increase or decrease in fair value of interest rate derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments, which was recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income to the extent that the cash flow hedge was determined to be effective.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnInterestRateCashFlowHedgesPretaxAccumulatedOtherComprehensiveIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of unrealized gain (loss) arising from the change in fair value of price risk derivatives designated as cash flow hedging instruments recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income in the period, before taxes, to the extent that the cash flow hedge is determined to be effective.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_UnrealizedGainLossOnPriceRiskCashFlowDerivativesBeforeTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_CommodityContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_SalesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_CostOfSalesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=bll_DebtRefinancingAndOtherCostsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpensesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=bll_BusinessConsolidationAndOtherActivitiesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_EquityContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: