Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2018	Jan. 02, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 477.0		$ 448.0	$ 458.0	$ 597.0
Receivables, net	2,090.0	$ 1,941.0	1,634.0
Inventories, net	1,447.0	1,285.0	1,526.0
Other Assets, Current	146.0	146.0	150.0
Total current assets	4,160.0		3,758.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	4,727.0		4,610.0
Goodwill	4,970.0		4,933.0
Intangible assets, net	2,432.0		2,462.0
Other assets	1,442.0		1,406.0
Total assets	17,731.0		17,169.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	337.0		453.0
Accounts payable	2,822.0		2,762.0
Accrued employee costs	221.0		352.0
Other current liabilities	525.0	557.0	540.0
Total current liabilities	3,905.0		4,107.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	7,131.0		6,518.0
Employee benefit obligations	1,484.0		1,463.0
Long-term derivative liabilities	170.0		120.0
Deferred taxes	690.0	702.0	695.0
Other liabilities	383.0		340.0
Total liabilities	13,593.0		13,123.0
Common stock	1,100.0		1,084.0
Retained earnings	5,114.0	5,024.0	4,987.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(673.0)	$ (655.0)	(656.0)
Treasury stock, at cost	(1,508.0)		(1,474.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	4,033.0		3,941.0
Noncontrolling interests	105.0		105.0
Total shareholders' equity	4,138.0		4,046.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	17,731.0		17,169.0
Eliminating Adjustments
Current assets
Intercompany receivables	(735.0)		(1,426.0)
Total current assets	(735.0)		(1,426.0)
Noncurrent assets
Investment in subsidiaries	(13,179.0)		(12,913.0)
Total assets	(13,914.0)		(14,339.0)
Current liabilities
Intercompany payables	(735.0)		(1,426.0)
Total current liabilities	(735.0)		(1,426.0)
Noncurrent liabilities
Total liabilities	(735.0)		(1,426.0)
Common stock	(6,749.0)		(6,749.0)
Preferred stock	(5.0)		(5.0)
Retained earnings	(7,284.0)		(7,014.0)
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	859.0		855.0
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	(13,179.0)		(12,913.0)
Total shareholders' equity	(13,179.0)		(12,913.0)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	(13,914.0)		(14,339.0)
Ball Corporation
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents			5.0
Receivables, net	4.0		3.0
Intercompany receivables	67.0		39.0
Other Assets, Current	15.0		9.0
Total current assets	86.0		56.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	23.0		20.0
Investment in subsidiaries	8,837.0		8,639.0
Intangible assets, net	15.0		15.0
Other assets	191.0		185.0
Total assets	9,152.0		8,915.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	157.0		351.0
Accounts payable	18.0		14.0
Intercompany payables	(100.0)		705.0
Accrued employee costs	18.0		28.0
Other current liabilities	124.0		170.0
Total current liabilities	217.0		1,268.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	7,118.0		6,504.0
Employee benefit obligations	329.0		333.0
Intercompany long-term notes	(2,622.0)		(3,172.0)
Deferred taxes	(109.0)		(109.0)
Other liabilities	186.0		150.0
Total liabilities	5,119.0		4,974.0
Common stock	1,100.0		1,084.0
Retained earnings	5,114.0		4,987.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(673.0)		(656.0)
Treasury stock, at cost	(1,508.0)		(1,474.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	4,033.0		3,941.0
Total shareholders' equity	4,033.0		3,941.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	9,152.0		8,915.0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Receivables, net	489.0		260.0
Intercompany receivables	501.0		1,285.0
Inventories, net	722.0		673.0
Other Assets, Current	49.0		52.0
Total current assets	1,761.0		2,270.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,439.0		1,364.0
Investment in subsidiaries	3,945.0		3,885.0
Goodwill	1,545.0		1,545.0
Intangible assets, net	458.0		470.0
Other assets	292.0		282.0
Total assets	9,440.0		9,816.0
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	1,002.0		1,084.0
Intercompany payables	120.0		82.0
Accrued employee costs	115.0		182.0
Other current liabilities	126.0		111.0
Total current liabilities	1,363.0		1,459.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	1.0
Employee benefit obligations	827.0		811.0
Intercompany long-term notes	864.0		1,305.0
Deferred taxes	107.0		107.0
Other liabilities	48.0		50.0
Total liabilities	3,210.0		3,732.0
Common stock	2,463.0		2,463.0
Retained earnings	4,345.0		4,196.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(578.0)		(575.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	6,230.0		6,084.0
Total shareholders' equity	6,230.0		6,084.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	9,440.0		9,816.0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	477.0		443.0
Receivables, net	1,597.0		1,371.0
Intercompany receivables	167.0		102.0
Inventories, net	725.0		853.0
Other Assets, Current	82.0		89.0
Total current assets	3,048.0		2,858.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,265.0		3,226.0
Investment in subsidiaries	397.0		389.0
Goodwill	3,425.0		3,388.0
Intangible assets, net	1,959.0		1,977.0
Other assets	959.0		939.0
Total assets	13,053.0		12,777.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	180.0		102.0
Accounts payable	1,802.0		1,664.0
Intercompany payables	715.0		639.0
Accrued employee costs	88.0		142.0
Other current liabilities	275.0		259.0
Total current liabilities	3,060.0		2,806.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	12.0		14.0
Employee benefit obligations	328.0		319.0
Intercompany long-term notes	1,758.0		1,867.0
Deferred taxes	692.0		697.0
Other liabilities	149.0		140.0
Total liabilities	5,999.0		5,843.0
Common stock	4,286.0		4,286.0
Preferred stock	5.0		5.0
Retained earnings	2,939.0		2,818.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(281.0)		(280.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	6,949.0		6,829.0
Noncontrolling interests	105.0		105.0
Total shareholders' equity	7,054.0		6,934.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 13,053.0		$ 12,777.0