Calculation of EPS.

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- Definition

Class B common stock.

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- Definition

Class A Common Stock.

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- Definition

Cumulative dividend per year.

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- Definition

Earnings per share textuals.

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- Definition

Non-cumulative dividend per year.

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- Definition

Proportion of dividend for Class A and Class B for further distribution.

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- Definition

Shares authorized to be purchased.

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- Definition

Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding Basic and Diluted.

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- Definition

Number of shares that have been repurchased during the period and have not been retired and are not held in treasury. Some state laws may govern the circumstances under which an entity may acquire its own stock and prescribe the accounting treatment therefore. This element is used when state law does not recognize treasury stock.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 29, 30
-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)
-Number 12
-Paragraph 10

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Article 3

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)
-Number 43
-Chapter 1
-Section B
-Paragraph 11A

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- Definition

Cost of common and preferred stock that were repurchased during the period. Recorded using the cost method.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB)
-Number 12
-Paragraph 10

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Article 3

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher AICPA
-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)
-Number 43
-Chapter 1
-Section B
-Paragraph 7
-Subparagraph b

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- Definition

The sum of dilutive potential common shares used in the calculation of the diluted per-share computation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph a

+ Details

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- Definition

The average number of shares issued and outstanding that are used in calculating diluted EPS, determined based on the timing of issuance of shares in the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph a

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 8

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- Definition

Number of [basic] shares, after adjustment for contingently issuable shares and other shares not deemed outstanding, determined by relating the portion of time within a reporting period that common shares have been outstanding to the total time in that period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 171

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 40
-Subparagraph a

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)
-Number 128
-Paragraph 8

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Earnings Per Share (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		21 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2011	Apr. 30, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010	Jul. 31, 2011	Jul. 31, 2010	Jul. 31, 2011
Earnings Per Share (Textuals) [Abstract]
Repurchase of common stock						2,933,272
Proportion of dividend for Class A and Class B for further distribution						one cent a share for Class A Common Stock to one and a half cents a share for Class B Common Stock
Shares authorized to be purchased						up to four million shares of Class A Common Stock or Class B Common Stock or any combination of the foregoing
Total cost of the shares repurchased				$ (3,060)		5,800
Class A common stock [Member]
Class A Common Stock:
Basic shares	24,897,665		24,687,006	24,837,097	24,623,262
Assumed conversion of stock options	202,338		312,895	204,298	307,577
Diluted shares	25,100,003		24,999,901	25,041,395	24,930,839
Earnings Per Share (Textuals) [Abstract]
Calculation of EPS				(i) multiply 40% times the average Class A shares outstanding, then divide that amount by the product of 40% of the average Class A shares outstanding plus 60% of the average Class B shares outstanding to get a percentage, (ii) divide undistributed net income attributable to Greif, Inc. by the average Class A shares outstanding, then (iii) multiply item (i) by item (ii), and finally (iv) add item (iii) to the Class A cash dividend per share
Cumulative dividend per year		$ 0.01
Repurchase of common stock				0		1,416,752
Class B common stock [Member]
Class A Common Stock:
Basic shares	22,362,266		22,444,488	22,386,818	22,456,340
Diluted shares	22,362,266		22,444,448	22,386,818	22,456,340
Class B Common Stock:
Basic and diluted shares	22,362,266		22,444,488	22,386,818	22,456,340
Earnings Per Share (Textuals) [Abstract]
Calculation of EPS				(i) multiply 60% times the average Class B shares outstanding, then divide that amount by the product of 40% of the average Class A shares outstanding plus 60% of the average Class B shares outstanding to get a percentage, (ii) divide undistributed net income attributable to Greif, Inc. by the average Class B shares outstanding, then (iii) multiply item (i) by item (ii), and finally (iv) add item (iii) to the Class B cash dividend per share
Non-cumulative dividend per year		$ 0.005
Repurchase of common stock				50,000		1,516,520