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Employee benefit plans - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands | 1 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 141 Months Ended
--- | --- | --- | ---
Oct. 31, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) year participant | Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2021
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Defined benefit plans, accumulated benefit obligation |  | $ 504,944 | $ 2,081,850 |  |
Projected benefit obligation (PBO) with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets |  | 228,127 | 1,788,070 |  |
Accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets |  | 223,657 | 1,783,883 |  |
Fair value of plan assets for pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets |  | 61,686 | 1,468,068 |  |
Projected contributions to retirement plan |  | $ 16,000 |  |  |
Percentage of retiree health liability |  | 95.00% |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  | $ 431,047 | 1,813,135 |  |
Canada | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio |  | 28.00% |  |  |
Canada | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio |  | 72.00% |  |  |
U.K. | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio |  | 32.00% |  |  |
U.K. | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio |  | 68.00% |  |  |
Sonoco Savings Plan |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Defined contribution plan contribution percentage, Minimum |  | 1.00% |  |  |
Defined contribution plan contribution percentage, Maximum |  | 100.00% |  |  |
Percentage of participants modified matching contribution to be matched towards safe Harbor under companies savings plan | 100.00% |  |  |  | 50.00%
Modify matching employee contribution to profit sharing under companies savings plan | 6.00% |  |  |  | 4.00%
Companies expense related to the plan |  | $ 13,900 | 13,700 | $ 13,400 |
Sonoco Investment and Retirement Plan |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Projected contributions to retirement plan |  | 22,000 |  |  |
Companies expense related to the plan |  | $ 22,914 | 23,505 | 23,752 |
Contribution rate of annual eligible earnings under companies investment and retirement plan |  | 4.00% |  |  |
Contribution rate of annual eligible earnings in excess of social security wage base under companies investment and retirement plan |  | 4.00% |  |  |
Vesting period |  | 3 years |  |  |
Age limit of participants (year) | year |  | 55 |  |  |
Cash contributions to the SIRP |  | $ 22,665 | 22,503 | 14,573 |
Retirement Plans |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  | 417,105 | 1,799,109 | 1,683,520 |
Retirement Plans | Canada |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Non-cash settlement charges |  | 11,984 | 854 |  |
Retirement Plans | Inactive Plan Investment Portfolio |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Projected contributions to retirement plan |  | 124,432 |  |  |
Expected settlement charge |  | $ 538,722 |  |  |
Number of participants | participant |  | 11,000 |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Active Plan Investment Portfolio |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of participants | participant |  | 700 |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Active Plan Investment Portfolio | United States | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio |  | 20.00% |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Active Plan Investment Portfolio | United States | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio |  | 80.00% |  |  |
Retiree Health and Life Insurance Plans |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  | $ 13,942 | $ 14,026 | $ 12,881 |
Retiree Health and Life Insurance Plans | Canada |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  | 50,837 |  |  |
Retiree Health and Life Insurance Plans | U.K. |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  | 304,582 |  |  |
Retiree Health and Life Insurance Plans | United States |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  | $ 51,715 |  |  |

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