Employee Benefit Obligations - Components of net periodic benefit cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Defined Benefit Pension Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost	$ 16	$ 15
Interest cost	55	20
Expected return on plan assets	(59)	(23)
Recognized net actuarial loss	10	9
Net periodic benefit cost	22	21
Multi-employer plans:
Net periodic benefit cost for multiemployer plans	1
Total net periodic benefit cost	23	21
Defined Benefit Pension Plan Not Including German Swedish And Certain U S Plans | unfunded plan
Multi-employer plans:
Contributions to pension plans	8	20
Payments to participants	6
Expected contributions to pension plans for the full year	190
Expected benefit payments to plan participants for the full year	20
U.S.
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost	12	12
Interest cost	33	15
Expected return on plan assets	(33)	(18)
Recognized net actuarial loss	9	8
Net periodic benefit cost	21	17
Multi-employer plans:
Net periodic benefit cost for multiemployer plans	1
Total net periodic benefit cost	22	17
Foreign Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost	4	3
Interest cost	22	5
Expected return on plan assets	(26)	(5)
Recognized net actuarial loss	1	1
Net periodic benefit cost	1	4
Multi-employer plans:
Total net periodic benefit cost	$ 1	$ 4