Contingencies (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2011 item	Dec. 31, 2012 item	Dec. 31, 2011 item	Dec. 31, 2010 item	Dec. 31, 1993
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs
Sale of goods containing asbestos from 1948 to 1958		$ 40,000,000
Approximate number of claims disposed of to date		391,000
Average indemnity payment per claim		8,400
Deferred amounts payable		24,000,000	18,000,000
Asbestos-related liability, total amount accrued beginning in 1993 through 2011 before insurance recoveries		4,300,000,000			975,000,000
Total amount awarded by jury against defendants	90,000,000
Number of defendants	4
Compensatory damages assessed against defendants	10,000,000
Punitive damages assessed against the Company	40,000,000
Number of non mesothelioma claims for which a motion to consolidate for trail was filed		13,000
Asbestos related charges		155,000,000
Penalty amount		1,000,000
Cost of pollution control equipment		38,000,000
Amount already spent to install pollution control equipment		$ 17,000,000
Approximate number of plaintiffs and claimants asbestos claims pending against the entity
Pending at beginning of year (in number of litigants)		4,600	5,900	6,900
Disposed (in number of litigants)		4,400	4,500	4,200
Filed (in number of litigants)		2,400	3,200	3,200
Pending at end of year (in number of litigants)		2,600	4,600	5,900
Damages unspecified or sufficient to invoke jurisdictional minimum
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs, approximate percentage		66.00%
Damages of $15 million or less
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs, approximate percentage		30.00%
Damages greater than $15 million but less than $100 million
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs, approximate percentage		4.00%
Damages equal to or greater than $100 million | OI Inc.
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs
Percentage of asbestos plaintiffs, fewer than percentage		1.00%