Restatement of Previously Issued Financial Statements (Income Statement) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			39 Months Ended
	Sep. 10, 2015	Sep. 27, 2015	Mar. 29, 2015	Sep. 28, 2014	Sep. 27, 2015	Sep. 28, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2015
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales		$ 1,242,592		$ 1,262,503	$ 3,697,234	$ 3,700,151
Cost of sales		1,013,219		1,040,059	3,007,155	3,038,996
Gross profit		229,373		222,444	690,079	661,155
Selling, general and administrative expenses		130,341		110,507	357,893	360,712
Restructuring/Asset impairment charges		19,551		5,908	29,637	11,571
Income before interest and income taxes		79,481		106,029	302,549	288,872
Interest expense		14,340		13,620	42,352	40,574
Interest income		653		702	1,843	1,878
Income before income taxes		65,794		93,111	262,040	250,176
Provision for income taxes		24,775		27,539	75,019	79,322
Income before equity in earnings of affiliates		41,019		65,572	187,021	170,854
Equity in earnings of affiliates, net of tax		2,976		2,294	7,291	6,896
Net income		43,995		67,866	194,312	177,750
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests		(81)		(810)	(239)	(858)
Net income attributable to Sonoco		$ 43,914		$ 67,056	$ 194,073	$ 176,892
Basic (in shares)		101,548		102,128	101,454	102,451
Diluted (in shares)		102,405		103,087	102,387	103,425
Net income attributable to Sonoco:
Basic (in usd per share)		$ 0.43		$ 0.66	$ 1.91	$ 1.73
Diluted (in usd per share)		0.43		0.65	1.90	1.71
Cash dividends (usd per share)	$ 0.35	$ 0.35		$ 0.32	$ 1.02	$ 0.95
Overstatement of Operating Results of a Packaging Services Center in Mexico [Member] | Previously Reported [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales				$ 1,263,574		$ 3,696,580
Cost of sales				1,035,910		3,024,876
Gross profit				227,664		671,704
Selling, general and administrative expenses				110,507		360,712
Restructuring/Asset impairment charges				5,908		11,571
Income before interest and income taxes				111,249		299,421
Interest expense				13,620		40,574
Interest income				702		1,878
Income before income taxes				98,331		260,725
Provision for income taxes				28,891		82,053
Income before equity in earnings of affiliates				69,440		178,672
Equity in earnings of affiliates, net of tax				2,294		6,896
Net income				71,734		185,568
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests				(810)		(858)
Net income attributable to Sonoco				$ 70,924		$ 184,710
Basic (in shares)				102,128		102,451
Diluted (in shares)				103,087		103,425
Net income attributable to Sonoco:
Basic (in usd per share)				$ 0.69		$ 1.80
Diluted (in usd per share)				0.69		1.79
Cash dividends (usd per share)				$ 0.32		$ 0.95
Overstatement of Operating Results of a Packaging Services Center in Mexico [Member] | Effect of Restatement [Member]
Error Corrections and Prior Period Adjustments Restatement [Line Items]
Net sales				$ (1,071)		$ 3,571
Cost of sales				4,149		14,120
Gross profit				(5,220)		(10,549)
Selling, general and administrative expenses				0		0
Restructuring/Asset impairment charges				0		0
Income before interest and income taxes				(5,220)		(10,549)
Interest expense				0		0
Interest income				0		0
Income before income taxes				(5,220)		(10,549)
Provision for income taxes				(1,352)		(2,731)
Income before equity in earnings of affiliates				(3,868)		(7,818)
Equity in earnings of affiliates, net of tax				0		0
Net income			$ 2,139	(3,868)		(7,818)	$ 10,817	$ 9,758	$ 601	$ 23,315
Net (income) attributable to noncontrolling interests				0		0
Net income attributable to Sonoco				$ (3,868)		$ (7,818)
Basic (in shares)				0		0
Diluted (in shares)				0		0
Net income attributable to Sonoco:
Basic (in usd per share)				$ (0.03)		$ (0.07)
Diluted (in usd per share)				(0.04)		(0.08)				$ 0.23
Cash dividends (usd per share)				$ 0		$ 0