Net Assets Held For Sale - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2012	Oct. 31, 2012 Location	Oct. 31, 2011	Oct. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of locations with assets held for sale		2
Number of locations sold		4
Number of locations added to net assets held for sale		2
Number of locations reclassified to properties, plants and equipment		3
Gain on disposals of properties, plants and equipment, net	$ (2.0)	$ 7.6	$ 16.1	$ 11.4
Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of locations with assets held for sale		1	4
Number of locations placed back in service		3
Gain on disposals of properties, plants and equipment, net			3.2	6.6
Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services [Member] \| Equipment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain on disposals of properties, plants and equipment, net		0.6
Flexible Products & Services [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of locations with assets held for sale		1
Land Management [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain on disposals of properties, plants and equipment, net		5.5
Land Management [Member] \| Higher and better use (HBU) and surplus properties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain on disposals of properties, plants and equipment, net			11.4	3.3
Paper Packaging [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain on disposals of properties, plants and equipment, net			0.9	1.4
Gain on sell of other miscellaneous equipment		0.5
Other Miscellaneous Equipment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Gain on sell of other miscellaneous equipment		$ 1.0	$ 0.6	$ 0.1