Subsidiary Guarantees of Debt - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2018	Jan. 02, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 598.0		$ 448.0	$ 556.0	$ 597.0
Receivables, net	1,872.0	$ 1,941.0	1,634.0
Inventories, net	1,243.0	1,285.0	1,526.0
Other Assets, Current	147.0	146.0	150.0
Total current assets	3,860.0		3,758.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	4,508.0		4,610.0
Goodwill	4,497.0		4,933.0
Intangible assets, net	2,247.0		2,462.0
Other assets	1,358.0		1,406.0
Total assets	16,470.0		17,169.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	150.0		453.0
Accounts payable	2,953.0		2,762.0
Accrued employee costs	260.0		352.0
Other current liabilities	450.0	557.0	540.0
Total current liabilities	3,813.0		4,107.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	6,523.0		6,518.0
Employee benefit obligations	1,421.0		1,463.0
Long-term derivative liabilities	87.0		120.0
Deferred taxes	672.0	702.0	695.0
Other liabilities	296.0		340.0
Total liabilities	12,725.0		13,123.0
Common stock	1,142.0		1,084.0
Retained earnings	5,224.0	5,024.0	4,987.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(800.0)	$ (655.0)	(656.0)
Treasury stock, at cost	(1,926.0)		(1,474.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	3,640.0		3,941.0
Noncontrolling interests	105.0		105.0
Total shareholders' equity	3,745.0		4,046.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	16,470.0		17,169.0
Eliminating Adjustments
Current assets
Intercompany receivables	(2,290.0)		(1,426.0)
Total current assets	(2,290.0)		(1,426.0)
Noncurrent assets
Investment in subsidiaries	(14,589.0)		(12,994.0)
Total assets	(16,879.0)		(14,420.0)
Current liabilities
Intercompany payables	(2,895.0)		(1,426.0)
Total current liabilities	(2,895.0)		(1,426.0)
Noncurrent liabilities
Intercompany long-term notes	606.0
Total liabilities	(2,289.0)		(1,426.0)
Common stock	(7,833.0)		(6,749.0)
Preferred stock	(5.0)		(5.0)
Retained earnings	(7,882.0)		(7,089.0)
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	1,130.0		849.0
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	(14,590.0)		(12,994.0)
Total shareholders' equity	(14,590.0)		(12,994.0)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	(16,879.0)		(14,420.0)
Ball Corporation
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	5.0		5.0
Receivables, net	23.0		3.0
Intercompany receivables	71.0		39.0
Other Assets, Current	33.0		9.0
Total current assets	132.0		56.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	19.0		20.0
Investment in subsidiaries	10,917.0		8,639.0
Intangible assets, net	17.0		15.0
Other assets	186.0		185.0
Total assets	11,271.0		8,915.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	108.0		351.0
Accounts payable	48.0		14.0
Intercompany payables	2,314.0		705.0
Accrued employee costs	21.0		28.0
Other current liabilities	95.0		170.0
Total current liabilities	2,586.0		1,268.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	6,515.0		6,504.0
Employee benefit obligations	654.0		333.0
Intercompany long-term notes	(2,128.0)		(3,172.0)
Deferred taxes	(106.0)		(109.0)
Other liabilities	110.0		150.0
Total liabilities	7,631.0		4,974.0
Common stock	1,142.0		1,084.0
Retained earnings	5,224.0		4,987.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(800.0)		(656.0)
Treasury stock, at cost	(1,926.0)		(1,474.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	3,640.0		3,941.0
Total shareholders' equity	3,640.0		3,941.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	11,271.0		8,915.0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Receivables, net	522.0		260.0
Intercompany receivables	529.0		1,285.0
Inventories, net	469.0		673.0
Other Assets, Current	32.0		52.0
Total current assets	1,552.0		2,270.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,358.0		1,364.0
Investment in subsidiaries	3,772.0		3,885.0
Goodwill	1,190.0		1,545.0
Intangible assets, net	417.0		470.0
Other assets	216.0		282.0
Total assets	8,505.0		9,816.0
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	1,000.0		1,084.0
Intercompany payables	86.0		82.0
Accrued employee costs	139.0		182.0
Other current liabilities	126.0		111.0
Total current liabilities	1,351.0		1,459.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Employee benefit obligations	468.0		811.0
Intercompany long-term notes	41.0		1,305.0
Deferred taxes	108.0		107.0
Other liabilities	47.0		50.0
Total liabilities	2,015.0		3,732.0
Common stock	2,523.0		2,463.0
Retained earnings	4,651.0		4,196.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(684.0)		(575.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	6,490.0		6,084.0
Total shareholders' equity	6,490.0		6,084.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	8,505.0		9,816.0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	593.0		443.0
Receivables, net	1,327.0		1,371.0
Intercompany receivables	1,690.0		102.0
Inventories, net	774.0		853.0
Other Assets, Current	82.0		89.0
Total current assets	4,466.0		2,858.0
Noncurrent assets
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,131.0		3,226.0
Investment in subsidiaries	(100.0)		470.0
Goodwill	3,307.0		3,388.0
Intangible assets, net	1,813.0		1,977.0
Other assets	956.0		939.0
Total assets	13,573.0		12,858.0
Current liabilities
Short-term debt and current portion of long-term debt	42.0		102.0
Accounts payable	1,905.0		1,664.0
Intercompany payables	495.0		639.0
Accrued employee costs	100.0		142.0
Other current liabilities	229.0		259.0
Total current liabilities	2,771.0		2,806.0
Noncurrent liabilities
Long-term debt	8.0		14.0
Employee benefit obligations	299.0		319.0
Intercompany long-term notes	1,481.0		1,867.0
Deferred taxes	670.0		697.0
Other liabilities	139.0		140.0
Total liabilities	5,368.0		5,843.0
Common stock	5,310.0		4,286.0
Preferred stock	5.0		5.0
Retained earnings	3,231.0		2,893.0
Accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss)	(446.0)		(274.0)
Total Ball Corporation shareholders' equity	8,100.0		6,910.0
Noncontrolling interests	105.0		105.0
Total shareholders' equity	8,205.0		7,015.0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 13,573.0		$ 12,858.0