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Employee benefit plans - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands | 12 Months Ended | 144 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2024 | Dec. 31, 2023 | Dec. 31, 2022 | Dec. 31, 2021 | Dec. 31, 2021 | Dec. 04, 2024 | Sep. 08, 2023
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined benefit plans, accumulated benefit obligation | $ 440,126 | $ 404,648 |  |  |  |  |
Projected benefit obligation (PBO) with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets | 279,472 | 229,397 |  |  |  |  |
Accumulated benefit obligation (ABO) with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets | 270,720 | 224,045 |  |  |  |  |
Fair value of plan assets for pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets | 94,384 | 84,929 |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets | 304,000 | 308,800 |  |  |  |  |
Prior service cost | $ 11,637 |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of retiree health liability | 90.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Projected contributions to retirement plan | $ 21,900 |  |  |  |  |  |
Retirement Plans |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets | 290,825 | 295,587 | $ 253,125 |  |  |  |
Defined benefit plan, benefit obligation | 452,275 | 413,340 | 352,767 |  |  |  |
Accumulated other comprehensive loss including define pension plan, before tax | (109,718) | (114,957) |  |  |  |  |
Prior service cost | $ 5,020 | $ 5,557 |  |  |  |  |
United States | Retirement Plans |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |
United States | Retirement Plans | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 19.50% | 22.20% |  |  |  |  |
United States | Retirement Plans | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 78.00% | 76.60% |  |  |  |  |
Canada | Retirement Plans |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Non-cash settlement charges | $ 530 | $ 1,010 |  |  |  |  |
Total | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |
Canada | Retirement Plans | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 31.40% | 29.40% |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 30.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Canada | Retirement Plans | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 68.60% | 70.60% |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 70.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
U.K. | Retirement Plans |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 100.00% | 100.00% |  |  |  |  |
U.K. | Retirement Plans | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 21.00% | 20.00% |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 20.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
U.K. | Retirement Plans | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 77.10% | 79.10% |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 80.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Eviosys Plans | United States | Retirement Plans |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  |  |  |  |  | $ 21,223 |
Defined benefit plan, long-term unfunded pension obligations |  |  |  |  |  | 51,849 |
Defined benefit plan, short-term unfunded pension obligations |  |  |  |  |  | 979 |
Defined benefit plan, benefit obligation |  |  |  |  |  | $ 74,051 |
RTS Packaging Pension Plan |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total | 82.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
RTS Packaging Pension Plan | Retirement Plans | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 20.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
RTS Packaging Pension Plan | Retirement Plans | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 80.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
RTS Packaging Pension Plan | United States | Retirement Plans |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total postretirement benefit plan assets |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 32,322
Defined benefit plan, long-term unfunded pension obligations |  |  |  |  |  |  | 11,529
Defined benefit plan, short-term unfunded pension obligations |  |  |  |  |  |  | 83
Defined benefit plan, benefit obligation |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 43,934
Active Plan Investment Portfolio | United States | Retirement Plans | Equity securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 20.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
Active Plan Investment Portfolio | United States | Retirement Plans | Debt securities |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current target allocation for investment portfolio | 80.00% |  |  |  |  |  |
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 | $ 33,700 | $ 30,684 | 29,347 |  |  |  |
Sonoco Investment and Retirement Plan |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash contributions to the SIRP |  |  | $ 21,948 |  |  |  |
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
Accumulated other comprehensive loss including define pension plan, after tax |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3,543

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