Business Consolidation and Other Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		15 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2018
Business consolidation and other activities
Business consolidation and other activities			$ (157)	$ (63)	$ (253)	$ (302)
Currency exchange contracts			2	(5)	2	(3)
Settlement loss			41
Activity in business consolidation reserves
Balance at beginning of period		$ 70			20		$ 70
(Gains) charges in earnings					83
Cash payments and other activity					(33)
Balance at end of period			70		70
Beverage packaging, North And Central America
Activity in business consolidation reserves
Balance at beginning of period		20			8		20
(Gains) charges in earnings					18
Cash payments and other activity					(6)
Balance at end of period			20		20
Beverage packaging, South America
Activity in business consolidation reserves
Balance at beginning of period		2					2
(Gains) charges in earnings					2
Balance at end of period			2		2
Beverage packaging, Europe
Activity in business consolidation reserves
Balance at beginning of period		46			4		46
(Gains) charges in earnings					55
Cash payments and other activity					(13)
Balance at end of period			46		46
Food and aerosol packaging
Activity in business consolidation reserves
Balance at beginning of period		1			6		1
(Gains) charges in earnings					7
Cash payments and other activity					(12)
Balance at end of period			1		1
Other
Business consolidation and other activities
Business consolidation and other activities			(55)	(37)	(142)	(235)
Charges for insignificant items				(4)		10
Activity in business consolidation reserves
Balance at beginning of period		1			2		1
(Gains) charges in earnings					1
Cash payments and other activity					(2)
Balance at end of period			1		1
Other | Rexam
Business consolidation and other activities
Professional services and other costs				33		289
Compensation arrangement expense				22		106
Foreign currency translation losses				22
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, North And Central America
Business consolidation and other activities
Business consolidation and other activities			(34)	(6)	(45)	(12)
Charges for insignificant items			1	1	5	5
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, North And Central America | Rexam
Business consolidation and other activities
Professional services and other costs				2		3
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, North And Central America | Bristol Virginia Plant
Business consolidation and other activities
Plant closure costs				3		4
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, North And Central America | Reidsville North Carolina Plant
Business consolidation and other activities
Plant closure costs					7
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, North And Central America | Birmingham, Alabama, Chatsworth, California And Longview, Texas
Business consolidation and other activities
Facility shutdown costs, asset impairment, accelerated depreciation and other closure costs			4
Charges related to severance, pension and other employee benefits			29
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, South America
Business consolidation and other activities
Business consolidation and other activities			(4)	(6)	(4)	(15)
Charges for insignificant items			4	4	4	4
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, South America | Rexam
Business consolidation and other activities
Professional services and other costs				2		11
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, Europe
Business consolidation and other activities
Business consolidation and other activities			(62)	(10)	(69)	(19)
Charges for insignificant items				10	5	12
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, Europe | Rexam
Business consolidation and other activities
Professional services and other costs					2	7
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, Europe | Recklinghausen, Germany
Business consolidation and other activities
Facility shutdown costs, asset impairment, accelerated depreciation and other closure costs			7
Charges related to severance, pension and other employee benefits			55
Operating Segments | Beverage packaging, Europe | Recklinghausen, Germany | Forecast
Business consolidation and other activities
Additional closure expense							$ 30
Operating Segments | Food and aerosol packaging
Business consolidation and other activities
Business consolidation and other activities			(2)	(4)	7	(21)
Charges for insignificant items				1	2	7
Other income from insignificant activities			1
Operating Segments | Food and aerosol packaging | Weirton West Virginia Plant
Business consolidation and other activities
Plant closure costs comprised of employee severance, pension and other benefits, asset impairments, facility shut down and disposal costs				3		14
Operating Segments | Food and aerosol packaging | Weirton West Virginia Plant | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Business consolidation and other activities
Facility shutdown costs and accelerated depreciation			1		6
Operating Segments | Food and aerosol packaging | Hubbard Ohio Plant
Business consolidation and other activities
Gain (loss) on dispositions	$ 15
Corporate and Other Costs
Business consolidation and other activities
Charges for insignificant items					19
Settlement loss			41		41
Corporate and Other Costs | Rexam
Business consolidation and other activities
Professional services and other costs					12
Compensation arrangement expense					22
Corporate and Other Costs | Other
Business consolidation and other activities
Charges for insignificant items			7
Corporate and Other Costs | Other | Rexam
Business consolidation and other activities
Professional services and other costs			2
Compensation arrangement expense			5
Divestment Business | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Forecast
Business consolidation and other activities
Gain (loss) on dispositions		$ 60
Divestment Business | Other | Rexam
Business consolidation and other activities
Foreign currency translation losses						174
Divestment Business | Corporate and Other Costs | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Business consolidation and other activities
Expense of indemnifications of uncertain tax positions					34
Adjustment to gain on sale of Divestment Business					(14)
Ball Corporation
Business consolidation and other activities
Business consolidation and other activities			$ (18)	$ (154)	$ (82)	355
Ball Corporation | Divestment Business | Other
Business consolidation and other activities
Gain (loss) on dispositions						$ 344