Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Earnings (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt
Ownership interest in guarantor subsidiaries (as a percent)			100.00%
Net sales	$ 2,030	$ 2,172	$ 3,785	$ 4,095
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(1,596)	(1,775)	(3,012)	(3,336)
Depreciation and amortization	(78)	(71)	(153)	(139)
Selling, general and administrative	(105)	(118)	(213)	(234)
Business consolidation and other activities	27	66	(240)	14
Total costs and expenses	(1,752)	(1,898)	(3,618)	(3,695)
Earnings before interest and taxes	278	274	167	400
Interest expense	(41)	(31)	(79)	(70)
Debt refinancing and other costs	(46)	(5)	(106)	(65)
Total interest expense	(87)	(36)	(185)	(135)
Earnings (loss) before taxes	191	238	(18)	265
Tax (provision) benefit	146	(79)	229	(79)
Equity in results of affiliates, net of tax	1	1	0	2
Net earnings (loss)	338	160	211	188
Less net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests				(7)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	338	160	211	181
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	354	199	258	99
Eliminating Adjustments
Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt
Net sales	(58)	(12)	(83)	(22)
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)	58	12	83	22
Equity in results of subsidiaries	132	(169)	13	(304)
Total costs and expenses	190	(157)	96	(282)
Earnings before interest and taxes	132	(169)	13	(304)
Earnings (loss) before taxes	132	(169)	13	(304)
Net earnings (loss)	132	(169)	13	(304)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	132	(169)	13	(304)
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	96	(240)	(70)	(133)
Ball Corporation
Costs and expenses
Depreciation and amortization		(1)	(2)	(3)
Selling, general and administrative		(23)	(32)	(47)
Business consolidation and other activities		72	510	24
Equity in results of subsidiaries		117	(365)	212
Intercompany		51	110	103
Total costs and expenses		216	221	289
Earnings before interest and taxes		216	221	289
Interest expense		(29)	(75)	(66)
Debt refinancing and other costs		(4)	(96)	(63)
Total interest expense		(33)	(171)	(129)
Earnings (loss) before taxes		183	50	160
Tax (provision) benefit		(23)	161	21
Net earnings (loss)		160	211	181
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation		160	211	181
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation		199	258	99
Ball Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Costs and expenses
Depreciation and amortization	(1)
Selling, general and administrative	(13)
Business consolidation and other activities	770
Equity in results of subsidiaries	(450)
Intercompany	60
Total costs and expenses	366
Earnings before interest and taxes	366
Interest expense	(38)
Debt refinancing and other costs	(36)
Total interest expense	(74)
Earnings (loss) before taxes	292
Tax (provision) benefit	46
Net earnings (loss)	338
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	338
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	354
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt
Net sales		1,320	2,281	2,464
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)		(1,100)	(1,862)	(2,046)
Depreciation and amortization		(32)	(71)	(63)
Selling, general and administrative		(44)	(82)	(85)
Business consolidation and other activities			(24)	(1)
Equity in results of subsidiaries		52	352	92
Intercompany		(44)	(87)	(86)
Total costs and expenses		(1,168)	(1,774)	(2,189)
Earnings before interest and taxes		152	507	275
Interest expense		1	(1)	2
Total interest expense		1	(1)	2
Earnings (loss) before taxes		153	506	277
Tax (provision) benefit		(38)	(50)	(68)
Equity in results of affiliates, net of tax		1		1
Net earnings (loss)		116	456	210
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation		116	456	210
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation		153	513	126
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt
Net sales	1,206
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(975)
Depreciation and amortization	(36)
Selling, general and administrative	(42)
Business consolidation and other activities	(6)
Equity in results of subsidiaries	317
Intercompany	(44)
Total costs and expenses	(786)
Earnings before interest and taxes	420
Interest expense	(1)
Total interest expense	(1)
Earnings (loss) before taxes	419
Tax (provision) benefit	(32)
Equity in results of affiliates, net of tax	1
Net earnings (loss)	388
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	388
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	416
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt
Net sales		864	1,587	1,653
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)		(687)	(1,233)	(1,312)
Depreciation and amortization		(38)	(80)	(73)
Selling, general and administrative		(51)	(99)	(102)
Business consolidation and other activities		(6)	(726)	(9)
Intercompany		(7)	(23)	(17)
Total costs and expenses		(789)	(2,161)	(1,513)
Earnings before interest and taxes		75	(574)	140
Interest expense		(3)	(3)	(6)
Debt refinancing and other costs		(1)	(10)	(2)
Total interest expense		(4)	(13)	(8)
Earnings (loss) before taxes		71	(587)	132
Tax (provision) benefit		(18)	118	(32)
Equity in results of affiliates, net of tax				1
Net earnings (loss)		53	(469)	101
Less net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests				(7)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation		53	(469)	94
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation		$ 87	$ (443)	$ 7
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt
Net sales	882
Costs and expenses
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(679)
Depreciation and amortization	(41)
Selling, general and administrative	(50)
Business consolidation and other activities	(737)
Equity in results of subsidiaries	1
Intercompany	(16)
Total costs and expenses	(1,522)
Earnings before interest and taxes	(640)
Interest expense	(2)
Debt refinancing and other costs	(10)
Total interest expense	(12)
Earnings (loss) before taxes	(652)
Tax (provision) benefit	132
Net earnings (loss)	(520)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	(520)
Comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to Ball Corporation	$ (512)