Business Consolidation and Other Activities (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 Metal beverage packaging, Americas and Asia oz	Sep. 30, 2012 Metal beverage packaging, Americas and Asia	Sep. 30, 2013 Metal beverage packaging, Americas and Asia oz	Sep. 30, 2012 Metal beverage packaging, Americas and Asia	Jul. 31, 2013 Metal beverage packaging, Americas and Asia	Aug. 31, 2012 Metal beverage packaging, Americas and Asia oz	Sep. 30, 2013 Metal beverage packaging, Europe	Sep. 30, 2012 Metal beverage packaging, Europe	Sep. 30, 2013 Metal beverage packaging, Europe	Sep. 30, 2012 Metal beverage packaging, Europe	Sep. 30, 2013 Metal Food and Household Products Packaging	Jun. 30, 2013 Metal Food and Household Products Packaging	Jun. 30, 2013 Metal Food and Household Products Packaging	Sep. 30, 2013 Metal Food and Household Products Packaging	Sep. 30, 2013 Metal Beverage Packaging, Europe, and Corporate	Sep. 30, 2012 Metal Beverage Packaging, Europe, and Corporate	Sep. 30, 2013 Metal Beverage Packaging, Europe, and Corporate	Sep. 30, 2012 Metal Beverage Packaging, Europe, and Corporate	Sep. 30, 2013 Aerospace and technologies	Sep. 30, 2013 Corporate and Other Costs	Sep. 30, 2012 Corporate and Other Costs	Sep. 30, 2013 Corporate and Other Costs	Sep. 30, 2012 Corporate and Other Costs
Business consolidation and other activities
Business consolidation and other activities	$ (43.8)	$ (36.8)	$ (89.1)	$ (44.0)		$ (14.1)	$ (31.5)	$ (26.6)	$ (32.9)			$ (1.7)	$ (3.5)	$ (4.6)	$ (6.2)	$ (28.9)			$ (57.4)					$ (0.2)	$ 0.9	$ (1.8)	$ (0.3)	$ (4.9)
Compensation agreement, pretax amount										72
Charges for closure and relocation costs						6.8		8.1
Charges to eliminate 12-ounce beverage can production from facility						1.6		8.7
Weight of container (in ounces)						12		12			12
Accelerated depreciation							6.6	4.6											7.8
Other costs which will not be compensated								1.5
Proceeds from the compensation agreement						28.4
Proceeds from the compensation agreement, amount deferred						17.3		17.3
Obsolescence of tooling and spares							4.6
Severance, pension and other employee benefits							20.1	1.6											16.0
Net income related to previously closed facilities																				0.9		0.6
Other closure costs								2.5												1.7		5.5
Accounts receivable provision																27.0
Accounts receivable balance	1,061.2		1,061.2		878.3											46.5			46.5
Charges related to facilities closure						5.3		8.4								1.9			28.0
Write down of land and buildings down to net realizable value																			4.2
Severance								6.6
Write off of land and building								7.8
Charges related to disposal and transfer of machinery and equipment								3.3
Charges related to migrate certain hourly employees from a multi-employer defined benefit pension plan to a Ball-sponsored defined benefit pension plan																	5.9
Additional tax expense in connection with the relocation of the company's European headquarters from Germany to Switzerland																					1.3
Income related to settlement of defined benefit pension liabilities																		3.5
Charges related to previously closed facilities and other insignificant costs						0.4	0.2	1.4	1.6												1.1		1.5
Summary of reserve activity by segment related to restructuring activities
Balance at the beginning of the period			25.1					16.4										3.0	3.0					1.9			3.8
Charges to earnings			15.3				31.3	(3.3)											18.4		4.2		9.6				0.2
Cash payments and other activity			(23.5)					(11.3)											(6.3)					(1.9)			(4.0)
Balance at the end of the period	16.9		16.9			1.8		1.8								15.1			15.1
Assets held for sale in connection with facilities closures	$ 36.8		$ 36.8		$ 31.4