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Acquisitions and Divestitures - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Oct. 31, 2014 | Oct. 31, 2013 | Oct. 31, 2014 Divestiture Company | Oct. 31, 2013 Acquisition Divestiture | Oct. 31, 2012 Acquisition Divestiture
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of acquisitions completed |  |  | 2 us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired | 0 us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired | 0 us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired
Number of divestitures |  |  | 9 gef_NumberOfDivestitures | 0 gef_NumberOfDivestitures | 0 gef_NumberOfDivestitures
Gain or loss on sale of business |  |  | $ 11.5 us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness |  |
Gain on sale of business | 21.2 us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfAssets1 |  | 11.5 us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfAssets1 |  |
Asset impairment charges | 70.2 us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges | 26.9 us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges | 85.8 us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges | 31.4 us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges | 13.2 us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges
Proceeds from the sale of businesses |  |  | 115.3 us-gaap_ProceedsFromDivestitureOfBusinesses |  |
Deferred cash payment |  |  | 1.2 gef_PaymentOfDeferredPurchaseConsideration | 46.6 gef_PaymentOfDeferredPurchaseConsideration | 14.3 gef_PaymentOfDeferredPurchaseConsideration
Other Assets [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of divestitures |  |  | 4 gef_NumberOfDivestitures / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherAssetsMember |  |
Gain or loss on sale of business |  |  | 5.4 us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / us-gaap_BalanceSheetLocationAxis = us-gaap_OtherAssetsMember |  |
Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of acquisitions completed |  |  | 1 us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Paper Packaging [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of acquisitions completed |  |  | 1 us-gaap_NumberOfBusinessesAcquired / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_PaperPackagingMember |  |
Gain or loss on sale of business |  |  | 4.2 us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_PaperPackagingMember |  |
Flexible Products & Services [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Gain or loss on sale of business |  |  | 18.3 us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_FlexibleProductsAndServicesMember |  |
Asset impairment charges |  |  | 15.7 us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_FlexibleProductsAndServicesMember |  |
Divestiture One [Member] | Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Gain or loss on sale of business |  |  | (9.1)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gef_DivestitureOneMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Divestiture Two [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Number of divestitures |  |  | 2 gef_NumberOfDivestitures / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gef_DivestitureTwoMember |  |
Divestiture Two [Member] | Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Gain or loss on sale of business |  |  | (1.8)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gef_DivestitureTwoMember / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Divestiture Three [Member] |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Gain or loss on sale of business |  |  | (5.5)us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfBusiness / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gef_DivestitureThreeMember |  |
Gain on sale of business |  |  | (11.4)us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfAssets1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gef_DivestitureThreeMember |  |
Asset impairment charges |  |  | $ 5.9 us-gaap_AssetImpairmentCharges / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = gef_DivestitureThreeMember |  |

X
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X
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- Definition Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of assets, including but not limited to property plant and equipment, intangible assets and equity in securities of subsidiaries or equity method investee. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 360 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=8077374&loc=d3e2443-110228 + Details
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- Definition Gain (loss) from sale or disposal of an organization or integrated set of activities (for example, but not limited to, a partnership or corporation) engaged in providing a product or service in a commercial, industrial, or professional environment. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The cash inflow associated with the amount received from the sale of a portion of the company's business, for example a segment, division, branch or other business, during the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Investing Activities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 12 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3179-108585 + Details
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