Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 448.0	$ 597.0	$ 224.0	$ 191.0
Receivables, net	1,634.0	1,491.0
Inventories, net	1,526.0	1,413.0
Other Assets, Current	150.0	152.0
Total current assets	3,758.0	3,653.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	4,610.0	4,387.0
Goodwill	4,933.0	5,095.0	2,177.0
Intangible assets, net	2,462.0	1,934.0
Other assets	1,406.0	1,104.0
Total assets	17,169.0	16,173.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	453.0	222.0
Accounts payable	2,762.0	2,033.0
Accrued employee costs	352.0	315.0
Other current liabilities	540.0	399.0
Total current liabilities	4,107.0	2,969.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	6,518.0	7,310.0
Employee benefit obligations	1,463.0	1,497.0
Long-term derivative liabilities	120.0
Deferred taxes	695.0	439.0
Other liabilities	340.0	417.0
Total liabilities	13,123.0	12,632.0
Common stock	1,084.0	1,038.0
Retained earnings	4,987.0	4,739.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(656.0)	(941.0)
Treasury stock, at cost	(1,474.0)	(1,401.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	3,941.0	3,435.0
Noncontrolling interests	105.0	106.0
Total shareholders' equity	4,046.0	3,541.0	1,261.0	1,240.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	17,169.0	16,173.0
Guarantees Relating to Senior Notes
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	448.0	597.0	224.0	191.0
Receivables, net	1,634.0	1,491.0
Inventories, net	1,526.0	1,413.0
Other Assets, Current	150.0	152.0
Total current assets	3,758.0	3,653.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	4,610.0	4,387.0
Goodwill	4,933.0	5,095.0
Intangible assets, net	2,462.0	1,934.0
Other assets	1,406.0	1,104.0
Total assets	17,169.0	16,173.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	453.0	222.0
Accounts payable	2,762.0	2,033.0
Accrued employee costs	352.0	315.0
Other current liabilities	540.0	399.0
Total current liabilities	4,107.0	2,969.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	6,518.0	7,310.0
Employee benefit obligations	1,463.0	1,497.0
Deferred taxes	695.0	439.0
Other liabilities	340.0	417.0
Total liabilities	13,123.0	12,632.0
Common stock	1,084.0	1,038.0
Retained earnings	4,987.0	4,739.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(656.0)	(941.0)
Treasury stock, at cost	(1,474.0)	(1,401.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	3,941.0	3,435.0
Noncontrolling interests	105.0	106.0
Total shareholders' equity	4,046.0	3,541.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	17,169.0	16,173.0
Guarantees Relating to Senior Notes | Eliminating Adjustments
Current assets
Intercompany receivables	(1,421.0)	(1,469.0)
Total current assets	(1,421.0)	(1,469.0)
Noncurrent assets
Investment in subsidiaries	(13,690.0)	(12,529.0)
Total assets	(15,111.0)	(13,998.0)
Current liabilities
Intercompany payables	(1,421.0)	(1,471.0)
Total current liabilities	(1,421.0)	(1,471.0)
Noncurrent liabilities
Intercompany long-term notes	1.0	2.0
Total liabilities	(1,420.0)	(1,469.0)
Common stock	(7,419.0)	(7,421.0)
Preferred stock	(5.0)	(5.0)
Retained earnings	(7,111.0)	(6,493.0)
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	844.0	1,390.0
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	(13,691.0)	(12,529.0)
Total shareholders' equity	(13,691.0)	(12,529.0)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	(15,111.0)	(13,998.0)
Ball Corporation | Guarantees Relating to Senior Notes
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	5.0	2.0	5.0	2.0
Receivables, net	3.0	96.0
Intercompany receivables	39.0	39.0
Other Assets, Current	9.0	40.0
Total current assets	56.0	177.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	20.0	23.0
Investment in subsidiaries	8,639.0	7,815.0
Intangible assets, net	15.0	18.0
Other assets	185.0	94.0
Total assets	8,915.0	8,127.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	351.0	141.0
Accounts payable	14.0	18.0
Intercompany payables	705.0	1,010.0
Accrued employee costs	28.0	25.0
Other current liabilities	170.0	138.0
Total current liabilities	1,268.0	1,332.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	6,504.0	6,337.0
Employee benefit obligations	333.0	347.0
Intercompany long-term notes	(3,172.0)	(3,142.0)
Deferred taxes	(109.0)	(308.0)
Other liabilities	150.0	127.0
Total liabilities	4,974.0	4,693.0
Common stock	1,084.0	1,038.0
Retained earnings	4,987.0	4,739.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(656.0)	(942.0)
Treasury stock, at cost	(1,474.0)	(1,401.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	3,941.0	3,434.0
Total shareholders' equity	3,941.0	3,434.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	8,915.0	8,127.0
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Guarantees Relating to Senior Notes
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents		(11.0)
Receivables, net	233.0	450.0
Intercompany receivables	470.0	467.0
Inventories, net	605.0	516.0
Other Assets, Current	48.0	39.0
Total current assets	1,356.0	1,461.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,275.0	1,087.0
Investment in subsidiaries	4,662.0	4,291.0
Goodwill	981.0	985.0
Intangible assets, net	65.0	76.0
Other assets	296.0	306.0
Total assets	8,635.0	8,206.0
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	986.0	772.0
Intercompany payables	76.0	53.0
Accrued employee costs	157.0	152.0
Other current liabilities	81.0	69.0
Total current liabilities	1,300.0	1,046.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Employee benefit obligations	707.0	760.0
Intercompany long-term notes	1,599.0	2,018.0
Deferred taxes	256.0	232.0
Other liabilities	23.0	35.0
Total liabilities	3,885.0	4,091.0
Common stock	1,128.0	1,120.0
Retained earnings	4,197.0	3,832.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(575.0)	(837.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	4,750.0	4,115.0
Total shareholders' equity	4,750.0	4,115.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	8,635.0	8,206.0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Guarantees Relating to Senior Notes
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	443.0	606.0	$ 219.0	$ 189.0
Receivables, net	1,398.0	945.0
Intercompany receivables	912.0	963.0
Inventories, net	921.0	897.0
Other Assets, Current	93.0	73.0
Total current assets	3,767.0	3,484.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,315.0	3,277.0
Investment in subsidiaries	389.0	423.0
Goodwill	3,952.0	4,110.0
Intangible assets, net	2,382.0	1,840.0
Other assets	925.0	704.0
Total assets	14,730.0	13,838.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	102.0	81.0
Accounts payable	1,762.0	1,243.0
Intercompany payables	640.0	408.0
Accrued employee costs	167.0	138.0
Other current liabilities	289.0	192.0
Total current liabilities	2,960.0	2,062.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	14.0	973.0
Employee benefit obligations	423.0	390.0
Intercompany long-term notes	1,572.0	1,122.0
Deferred taxes	548.0	515.0
Other liabilities	167.0	255.0
Total liabilities	5,684.0	5,317.0
Common stock	6,291.0	6,301.0
Preferred stock	5.0	5.0
Retained earnings	2,914.0	2,661.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(269.0)	(552.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	8,941.0	8,415.0
Noncontrolling interests	105.0	106.0
Total shareholders' equity	9,046.0	8,521.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 14,730.0	$ 13,838.0