Segment Information - Analysis of Operations by Reportable Segment (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended																12 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2015	[13]	Dec. 31, 2016		Sep. 30, 2016		Jun. 30, 2016		Mar. 31, 2016	[4]	Dec. 31, 2015		Sep. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2015		Mar. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Trade sales																				$ 5,779.0		$ 5,741.7		$ 5,852.6
Net sales				$ 1,476.6	[1]	$ 1,484.0	[2]	$ 1,417.4	[3]	$ 1,401.0		$ 1,390.9	[5]	$ 1,470.8	[6]	$ 1,454.3	[7]	$ 1,425.7	[8]	5,779.0		5,741.7		5,852.6
Operating Income (Loss)				192.9	[1]	206.4	[2]	200.2	[3]	$ 180.8		175.9	[5]	219.4	[6]	197.6	[7]	157.1	[8]	780.3		750.0		702.7
Interest expense, net																				(91.8)		(85.5)		(88.4)	[9]
Income before taxes																				688.5		664.5		614.3
Depreciation, amortization, and depletion																				358.0		356.5		381.0
Capital expenditures	[10]																			274.3		314.5		420.2
Assets				5,777.0								5,272.3								5,777.0		5,272.3		5,258.7
Facilities closure costs	[11]																			9.4		0.0		0.0
Acquisition-related costs	[12]																			3.3		0.0		0.0
Multiemployer pension withdrawal	[13]																			0.9		0.0		0.0
Restructuring	[13]																					(7.1)
Class action lawsuit settlement	[14]																			0.0		0.0		17.6
Write-Off of Deferred Financing Costs
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense, net																						(1.5)
Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Trade sales																				4,577.4		4,474.1		4,534.5
Operating Income (Loss)																				711.1	[15]	714.9	[16]	663.2	[17]
Depreciation, amortization, and depletion																				293.3		297.3		323.0
Capital expenditures	[10]																			239.9		250.3		362.1
Assets				4,530.5								4,027.9								4,530.5		4,027.9		4,105.3
Facilities closure costs																				9.3
Multiemployer pension withdrawal																				0.9
Paper
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Trade sales																				1,093.9		1,143.1		1,201.4
Operating Income (Loss)																				138.1	[18]	112.5	[19]	135.4
Depreciation, amortization, and depletion																				59.6		54.9		50.6
Capital expenditures	[10]																			31.6		58.5		51.7
Assets				946.2								976.5								946.2		976.5		968.6
Facilities closure costs																				1.7
Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Trade sales																				107.7		124.5		116.7
Operating Income (Loss)																				(68.9)	[20]	(77.4)	[21]	(95.9)	[22]
Depreciation, amortization, and depletion																				5.1		4.3		7.4
Capital expenditures	[10]																			2.8		5.7		6.4
Assets				300.3								267.9								300.3		267.9		184.8
Class action lawsuit settlement																						17.6
TimBar Corporation
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales																				116.9
Operating Income (Loss)				1.2		2.9		$ 0.3
TimBar Corporation | Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Acquisition-related costs						4.2
TimBar Corporation | Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Acquisition-related costs						$ 0.3
Boise Inc. | Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)																				4.1
Boise Inc. | Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)																				9.3
DeRidder Restructuring Costs
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)												3.5		3.8		1.0		(10.3)
Integration-Related and Other Costs | Boise Inc.
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)												$ (3.8)		(2.4)		$ (3.7)		$ (3.5)
Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment sales																				0.0		0.0		0.0
Intersegment Eliminations | Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment sales																				7.4		3.2		5.8
Intersegment Eliminations | Paper
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment sales																				0.0		0.0		0.0
Intersegment Eliminations | Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment sales																				139.2		133.8		144.9
Intersegment Eliminations | Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment sales																								(150.7)
Operating Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales																				5,779.0		5,741.7		5,852.6
Operating Segments | Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales																				4,584.8		4,477.3		4,540.3
Operating Segments | Paper
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales																				1,093.9		1,143.1		1,201.4
Operating Segments | Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales																				246.9		258.3		261.6
Operating Segments | Intersegment Eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales																								(150.7)
Segment Reconciling Items
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment sales																				(146.6)		(137.0)
Net sales																				(146.6)		(137.0)
Other Expense | DeRidder Restructuring Costs | Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)																						(65.8)
Other Expense | Integration-Related and Other Costs | Boise Inc. | Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)																						(4.9)
Other Expense | Integration-Related and Other Costs | Boise Inc. | Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)																						(13.5)
Other Restructuring | Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)																				2.0
Mill at St. Helens, Oregon
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sale of St. Helens Paper Mill Site		$ 6.7																		0.0	[23]	6.7	[23]	0.0	[23]
Mill at St. Helens, Oregon | DeRidder Restructuring Costs
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)														$ 6.7
Wallula, Washington Mill
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Income (Loss)				$ 2.7
Restructuring	[24]																			0.6		$ 0.0		$ 0.0
Wallula, Washington Mill | Paper
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring	[24]																			$ 2.7

[1] Includes $4.5 million of closure costs related to a corrugated products facility and a paper products facility ($2.9 million after-tax or $0.03 per diluted share), $2.7 million of costs related to ceased production of softwood market pulp operations at our Wallula, Washington mill and the permanent shutdown of the No.1 machine ($1.8 million after-tax or $0.02 per diluted share), and $1.2 million of acquisition-related costs for TimBar Corporation and Columbus Container, Inc. acquisitions ($0.8 million after-tax or $0.01 per diluted share).

[2] Includes $2.0 million of closure costs related to a corrugated products facility and a paper products facility ($1.4 million after-tax or $0.02 per diluted share) and $2.9 million of acquisition-related costs for TimBar Corporation and Columbus Container, Inc. acquisitions ($1.9 million after-tax or $0.02 per diluted share).

[3] Includes $1.7 million of closure costs related to a corrugated products facility and a paper products facility ($1.0 million after-tax or $0.01 per diluted share), $0.3 million of acquisition-related costs for TimBar Corporation ($0.2 million after-tax or $0.0 per diluted share), and $0.9 million related to our withdrawal from a multiemployer pension plan for one of our corrugated products facilities ($0.6 million after-tax or $0.01 per diluted share).

[4] Includes $2.8 million of closure costs related to a corrugated products facility and a paper products facility. ($1.9 million after-tax or $0.02 per diluted share).

[5] Includes $3.5 million of income from DeRidder restructuring ($2.2 million after-tax or $0.02 per diluted share) and $3.8 million of integration-related and other costs ($2.6 million after-tax or $0.03 per diluted share).

[6] Includes $3.8 million of income from DeRidder restructuring ($2.3 million after-tax or $0.02 per diluted share) and $2.4 million of integration-related and other costs ($1.7 million after-tax or $0.02 per diluted share). Also includes $6.7 million gain from the sale of our paper mill site at St. Helens, Oregon ($4.4 million after tax or $0.05 per diluted share).

[7] Includes $1.0 million of income from DeRidder restructuring ($0.7 million after-tax or $0.01 per diluted share) and $3.7 million of integration-related and other costs ($2.3 million after-tax or $0.03 per diluted share).

[8] Includes $10.3 million of DeRidder restructuring charges ($6.6 million after-tax or $0.07 per diluted share) and $3.5 million of integration-related and other costs ($2.2 million after-tax or $0.02 per diluted share). Also includes a $3.6 million tax credit from the State of Louisiana related to our capital investment and the jobs retained at the DeRidder, Louisiana mill.

[9] Includes $1.5 million of expense related to the write-off of deferred financing costs in connection with the debt refinancing discussed in Note 9, Debt.

[10] Includes "Additions to property, plant, and equipment" and excludes cash used for "Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired" as reported on our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

[11] Includes facilities closure costs related to corrugated products facilities and a paper products facility.

[12] Includes acquisition-related costs for the TimBar Corporation and Columbus Container, Inc. acquisitions.

[13] Includes costs related to our withdrawal from a multiemployer pension plan for one of our corrugated products facilities.

[14] Includes $17.6 million of costs for the settlement of the Kleen Products LLC v Packaging Corp. of America et al class action lawsuit. See Note 18, Commitments, Guarantees, Indemnifications, and Legal Proceedings, for more information.

[15] Includes $9.3 million of closure costs related to corrugated product facilities.Includes $4.2 million of acquisition-related costs for the TimBar Corporation and Columbus Container, Inc. acquisitions. Includes $0.9 million of costs related to our withdrawal from a multiemployer pension plan for one of our corrugated products facilities.

[16] Includes net charges of $2.0 million primarily related to restructuring activities at our mill in DeRidder, Louisiana and $4.1 million of Boise acquisition integration-related and other costs.

[17] Includes $65.8 million of costs related primarily to the conversion of the No. 3 newsprint machine at our DeRidder, Louisiana mill to produce lightweight linerboard and corrugating medium, and our exit from the newsprint business in September 2014. Includes $4.9 million of Boise acquisition integration-related and other costs.

[18] Includes $2.7 million of costs related to ceased softwood market pulp operations at our Wallula, Washington mill and the permanent shut down of the No.1 machine. Includes $1.7 million of closure costs related to a paper products facility.

[19] In September 2015, we sold the remaining land, buildings, and equipment at our paper mill site in St. Helens, Oregon where we ceased paper production in December 2012. We recorded a $6.7 million gain on the sale.

[20] Includes $0.3 million of acquisition-related costs for the TimBar Corporation acquisition.

[21] Includes $9.3 million of Boise acquisition integration-related and other costs. These costs primarily relate to professional fees, severance, retention, relocation, travel, and other integration-related costs.

[22] Includes $13.5 million of Boise acquisition integration-related and other costs and $17.6 million of costs for the settlement of the Kleen Products LLC v Packaging Corp. of America et al class action lawsuit. See Note 18, Commitments, Guarantees, Indemnifications, and Legal Proceedings, for more information.

[23] In September 2015, we sold the remaining land, buildings, and equipment at our paper mill site in St. Helens, Oregon where we ceased paper production in December 2012. We recorded a $6.7 million gain on the sale.

[24] Includes costs related to ceased softwood market pulp operations at our Wallula, Washington mill and the permanent shutdown of the No. 1 machine.