Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of liabilities incurred (and for which invoices have typically been received) and payable to vendors for goods and services received that are used in an entity's business. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

Name:	us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Accumulated change in equity from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources, net of tax effect, at period end. Excludes Net Income (Loss), and accumulated changes in equity from transactions resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners. Includes foreign currency translation items, certain pension adjustments, unrealized gains and losses on certain investments in debt and equity securities, other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses related to factors other than credit losses on available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities that an entity does not intend to sell and it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell before recovery of the amortized cost basis, as well as changes in the fair value of derivatives related to the effective portion of a designated cash flow hedge.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 11
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84228862&loc=d3e637-108580

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84228862&loc=d3e681-108580

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14A
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84228862&loc=SL7669686-108580

Accounting Pronouncements - Revenue Recognition (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Jan. 02, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assets [Abstract]
Receivables, net	$ 2,090.0		$ 1,941.0		$ 1,634.0
Inventories, net	1,447.0		1,285.0		1,526.0
Other current assets	146.0		146.0		150.0
Liabilities [Abstract]
Accounts payable	2,822.0				2,762.0
Other current liabilities	525.0		557.0		540.0
Deferred taxes	690.0		702.0		695.0
Other liabilities	383.0				340.0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Retained earnings	5,114.0		5,024.0		4,987.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(673.0)		$ (655.0)		(656.0)
Noncontrolling interests	105.0				$ 105.0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net sales	2,785.0	$ 2,473.0
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(2,237.0)	(1,975.0)
Earnings before interest and taxes	226.0	152.0
Tax (provision) benefit	(34.0)	(22.0)
Net earnings attributable to Ball Corporation	$ 125.0	$ 68.0
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.36	$ 0.19
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.35	$ 0.19
Adjustments Due to New Guidance \| ASU 2014-09
Assets [Abstract]
Receivables, net	$ 345.0			$ 307.0
Inventories, net	(273.0)			(241.0)
Other current assets	(4.0)			(4.0)
Liabilities [Abstract]
Other current liabilities	21.0			17.0
Deferred taxes	7.0			7.0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Retained earnings	39.0			37.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	1.0			$ 1.0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net sales	33.0
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(31.0)
Earnings before interest and taxes	2.0
Net earnings attributable to Ball Corporation	$ 2.0
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01
Balance before adoption
Assets [Abstract]
Receivables, net	$ 1,745.0
Inventories, net	1,720.0
Other current assets	150.0
Liabilities [Abstract]
Other current liabilities	504.0
Deferred taxes	683.0
Stockholders' Equity, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Retained earnings	5,075.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(674.0)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent [Abstract]
Net sales	2,752.0
Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)	(2,206.0)
Earnings before interest and taxes	224.0
Tax (provision) benefit	(34.0)
Net earnings attributable to Ball Corporation	$ 123.0
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 0.35
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 0.34