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Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Apr. 30, 2012 | Oct. 31, 2012 Block Country Location Employees | Oct. 31, 2011 | Oct. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Number of Countries in which Company operates |  | 50 |  |
Approximate number of Employees |  | 13,560 |  |
Cash and cash equivalent held in foreign jurisdiction |  | $ 86.1 |  |
Allowance for trade accounts receivable |  | 17.1 | 13.8 |
Revenue from individual customer |  | Less than 10 percent |  |
Number of locations with assets held for sale |  | 2 |  |
Depreciation expense on Properties, Plants and Equipment |  | 131.4 | 122.7 | 98.5
Gain on disposal of properties,plant and equipments,net | (2.0) | 7.6 | 16.1 | 11.4
Net gains from sale of surplus and higher and better use timber properties |  | 5.5 | 11.4 |
Other miscellaneous gains on disposal of assets |  | 2.1 | 0.6 |
Impairment loss on machinery |  | 2.5 | 1.3 |
Other Impairment loss |  | 0.2 | 0.2 |
Capitalized interest costs |  | 2.7 | 3.8 |
Number of depletion blocks |  | 8 |  |
Percentage of sharing of investments, loans and capital injections |  | 50.00% |  |
Self insurance reserve |  | 2.7 | 2.9 |
Liabilities for anticipated costs related to captive insurance subsidiary |  | 16.1 | 15.3 |
Largest amount of tax benefit likely of being realized upon settlement |  | 50.00% |  |
Initial purchase price of a certain percentage of eligible receivables minimum |  | 75.00% |  |
Initial purchase price of a certain percentage of eligible receivables maximum |  | 90.00% |  |
Translation Adjustment Functional to Reporting Currency, Loss (Gain), Reclassified to Earnings, Net of Tax |  | (0.8) | (4.7) | 0.1
Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Number of locations with assets held for sale |  | 1 | 4 |
Gain on disposal of properties,plant and equipments,net |  |  | 3.2 | 6.6
Paper Packaging [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Gain on disposal of properties,plant and equipments,net |  |  | 0.9 | 1.4
UNITED STATES [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Area of timberland properties |  | 270,100 |  |
Depletion expenses on timber properties |  | $ 2.9 | $ 2.7 | $ 2.6
CANADA [Member] |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |
Area of timberland properties |  | 11,860 |  |

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