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Employee benefit plans - Additional Information (Details) | 12 Months Ended | 144 Months Ended |
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Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) participant year | Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) | Sep. 08, 2023 USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Defined benefit plans, accumulated benefit obligation | $ 404,648,000 | $ 347,608,000 |  |  |
Projected benefit obligation (PBO) with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets | 229,397,000 | 176,702,000 |  |  |
Accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets | 224,045,000 | 171,705,000 |  |  |
Fair value of plan assets for pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets | 84,929,000 | 48,277,000 |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets | 308,800,000 | $ 265,875,000 |  |  |
Loss from plan amendment affecting accumulated postretirement benefit obligation and prior service cost | 11,637,000 |  |  |  |
Projected contributions to retirement plan | $ 19,000,000 |  |  |  |
Percentage of retiree health liability | 98.00% |  |  |  |
RTS Packaging |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Voting interest acquired |  |  |  |  | 65.00%
Interest held in acquiree before subsequent acquisition (percent) |  |  |  |  | 35.00%
Accumulated other comprehensive loss including define pension plan, before tax |  |  |  |  | $ 4,756,000
Accumulated other comprehensive loss including define pension plan, after tax |  |  |  |  | 3,543,000
U.K. |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |
Canada |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |
United States |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |
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% |  |  |  |
Defined contribution plan, employer matching contribution (percent) |  |  | 100.00% |  |
Employer matching contribution, percent of employees' gross pay (percent) |  |  | 6.00% |  |
Percentage of participants modified matching contribution to be matched towards safe Harbor under companies savings plan |  |  |  | 50.00% |
Modify matching employee contribution to profit sharing under companies savings plan |  |  |  | 4.00% |
Companies expense related to the plan | $ 41,000,000 | $ 38,900,000 | $ 13,900,000 |  |
Sonoco Investment and Retirement Plan |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Companies expense related to the plan | $ 0 | 0 | 22,914,000 |  |
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 | $ 0 | 21,948,000 | 22,665,000 |  |
RTS Packaging Pension Plan |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 93.00% |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Defined benefit plan, benefit obligation | $ 413,456,000 | 352,843,000 | 514,633,000 | $ 514,633,000 |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets | 295,587,000 | 253,125,000 | 417,105,000 | 417,105,000 |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss including define pension plan, before tax | (114,957,000) | (109,558,000) |  |  |
Loss from plan amendment affecting accumulated postretirement benefit obligation and prior service cost | 5,557,000 | 6,053,000 |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Canada |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Non-cash settlement charges | $ 1,010,000 | $ 479,000 | 11,984,000 |  |
Retirement Plans | Equity securities | U.K. |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 20.00% | 22.60% |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 20.00% |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Equity securities | Canada |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 29.40% | 34.00% |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 29.00% |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Equity securities | United States |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 22.20% | 23.40% |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Debt securities | U.K. |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 79.10% | 76.30% |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 80.00% |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Debt securities | Canada |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 70.60% | 66.00% |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 71.00% |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Debt securities | United States |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 76.60% | 72.90% |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Cash and short-term investments | U.K. |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 0.90% | 1.10% |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Cash and short-term investments | Canada |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 0.00% | 0.00% |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Cash and short-term investments | United States |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 1.20% | 3.70% |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Inactive Plan Investment Portfolio |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Projected contributions to retirement plan | $ 124,432,000 |  |  |  |
Expected settlement charge | $ 538,722,000 |  |  |  |
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 | Equity securities | United States |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 20.00% |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans | Active Plan Investment Portfolio | Debt securities | United States |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 80.00% |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans | RTS Packaging Pension Plan | United States |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Defined benefit plan, benefit obligation |  |  |  |  | 43,934,000
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  |  |  |  | 32,322,000
Defined benefit plan, long-term unfunded pension obligations |  |  |  |  | 11,529,000
Defined benefit plan, short-term unfunded pension obligations |  |  |  |  | $ 83,000
Retirement Plans | RTS Packaging Pension Plan | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 20.00% |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans | RTS Packaging Pension Plan | 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] |  |  |  |  |
Defined benefit plan, benefit obligation | $ 22,571,000 | $ 11,244,000 | 13,745,000 | 13,745,000 |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets | 13,213,000 | 12,750,000 | $ 13,942,000 | $ 13,942,000 |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss including define pension plan, before tax | 6,120,000 | 6,437,000 |  |  |
Loss from plan amendment affecting accumulated postretirement benefit obligation and prior service cost | $ 11,637,000 | $ 0 |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |
Retiree Health and Life Insurance Plans | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 0.00% | 0.00% |  |  |
Retiree Health and Life Insurance Plans | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |
Retiree Health and Life Insurance Plans | Cash and short-term investments |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets (percent) | 0.00% | 0.00% |  |  |

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