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Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Summary of Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill by Segment (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Jan. 31, 2015 | Oct. 31, 2014
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill beginning balance | $ 880.2 us-gaap_Goodwill |  |
Goodwill acquired | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod |  |
Goodwill allocated to divestitures and businesses held for sale | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit |  |
Goodwill adjustments | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillPurchaseAccountingAdjustments |  |
Currency translation | (43.5)us-gaap_GoodwillTranslationAndPurchaseAccountingAdjustments |  |
Goodwill ending balance | 836.7 us-gaap_Goodwill |  |
Rigid Industrial Packaging & Services [Member] |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill beginning balance | 820.7 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Goodwill acquired | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Goodwill allocated to divestitures and businesses held for sale | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Goodwill adjustments | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillPurchaseAccountingAdjustments / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Currency translation | (43.5)us-gaap_GoodwillTranslationAndPurchaseAccountingAdjustments / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Goodwill ending balance | 777.2 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_RigidIndustrialPackagingAndServicesMember |  |
Paper Packaging [Member] |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill beginning balance | 59.5 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_PaperPackagingMember |  |
Goodwill acquired | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_PaperPackagingMember |  |
Goodwill allocated to divestitures and businesses held for sale | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_PaperPackagingMember |  |
Goodwill adjustments | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillPurchaseAccountingAdjustments / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_PaperPackagingMember |  |
Goodwill ending balance | 59.5 us-gaap_Goodwill / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_PaperPackagingMember |  |
Flexible Products & Services [Member] |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill acquired | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_FlexibleProductsAndServicesMember | [1] |
Goodwill allocated to divestitures and businesses held for sale | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_FlexibleProductsAndServicesMember | [1] |
Goodwill adjustments | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillPurchaseAccountingAdjustments / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_FlexibleProductsAndServicesMember | [1] |
Accumulated goodwill impairment loss | 50.3 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_FlexibleProductsAndServicesMember |  | 50.3 us-gaap_GoodwillImpairmentLoss / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_FlexibleProductsAndServicesMember
Land Management [Member] |  |  |
Goodwill [Line Items] |  |  |
Goodwill acquired | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillAcquiredDuringPeriod / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_LandManagementMember |  |
Goodwill allocated to divestitures and businesses held for sale | 0 us-gaap_GoodwillWrittenOffRelatedToSaleOfBusinessUnit / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_LandManagementMember |  |
Goodwill adjustments | $ 0 us-gaap_GoodwillPurchaseAccountingAdjustments / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = gef_LandManagementMember |  |
[1] | (1) At January 31, 2015 and October 31, 2014, the accumulated goodwill impairment loss was $50.3 million.

X
- Definition Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13770-109266 + Details
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- Definition Amount of increase in asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized resulting from a business combination. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 + Details
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- Definition Amount of increase (decrease) from adjustments after acquisition date under purchase accounting of an asset representing the future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (g) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 16 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34752592&loc=d3e961-128460 + Details
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- Definition Amount of divestiture of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267 + Details
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