Employee Benefit Obligations (Details 3)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Target asset allocations
Weighted average asset allocations (as a percent)	100.00%	100.00%
Defined Benefit Pension Plans | Cash and cash equivalents
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, low end of range (as a percent)	0.00%
Weighted average asset allocations (as a percent)	2.00%	3.00%
Defined Benefit Pension Plans | Corporate equity securities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, low end of range (as a percent)	10.00%
Weighted average asset allocations (as a percent)	37.00%	38.00%
Defined Benefit Pension Plans | Fixed income securities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, low end of range (as a percent)	25.00%
Weighted average asset allocations (as a percent)	52.00%	50.00%
Defined Benefit Pension Plans | Alternative investments
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, low end of range (as a percent)	0.00%
Weighted average asset allocations (as a percent)	9.00%	9.00%
U.S. | Cash and cash equivalents
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	10.00%
U.S. | Corporate equity securities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	75.00%
U.S. | Fixed income securities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	70.00%
U.S. | Alternative investments
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	35.00%
U.S. | Large-cap equities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	25.00%
U.S. | Mid-cap equities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	10.00%
U.S. | Small-cap equities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	10.00%
U.S. | Foreign equities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	35.00%
U.S. | Special equities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	35.00%
U.S. | Holdings in Ball Corporation common stock or Ball bonds
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	5.00%
U.S. | Non-investment grade bonds
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	10.00%
U.S. | Bank loans
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	10.00%
U.S. | International bonds
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	15.00%
Canada. | Cash and cash equivalents
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, low end of range (as a percent)	0.00%
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	2.00%
Canada. | Corporate equity securities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, low end of range (as a percent)	8.00%
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	12.00%
Canada. | Fixed income securities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations, low end of range (as a percent)	88.00%
Target asset allocations, high end of range (as a percent)	92.00%
United Kingdom. | Cash and cash equivalents
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations (as a percent)	4.00%
United Kingdom. | Corporate equity securities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations (as a percent)	20.00%
United Kingdom. | Fixed income securities
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations (as a percent)	64.00%
United Kingdom. | Absolute return funds
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations (as a percent)	9.00%
United Kingdom. | Alternative investments
Target asset allocations
Target asset allocations (as a percent)	3.00%