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Post Retirement Benefit Plans - Actuarial Assumptions Used for the Measurement of Benefit Obligations and Pension Costs (Detail) (Postretirement Health Care and Life Insurance Benefits [Member]) | Oct. 31, 2012 | Oct. 31, 2011
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Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] |  |
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items] |  |
Actuarial assumptions used to measure the year-end benefit obligations and the pension costs | 4.77% | 5.56%
USA [Member] |  |
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items] |  |
Actuarial assumptions used to measure the year-end benefit obligations and the pension costs | 4.00% | 4.90%
South Africa [Member] |  |
Pension Plans, Postretirement and Other Employee Benefits [Line Items] |  |
Actuarial assumptions used to measure the year-end benefit obligations and the pension costs | 7.75% | 8.25%

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- Definition Defined benefit plan assumptions used calculating benefit obligation and net periodic pension costs discount rate. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | gef_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationAndNetPeriodicPensionCostsDiscountRate
Namespace Prefix: | gef_
Data Type: | num:percentItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | instant

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- Details
Name: | gef_PensionPlansPostretirementAndOtherEmployeeBenefitsLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | gef_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration