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Document and Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
Document and Entity Information - shares	Jun. 30, 2012	Aug. 02, 2012
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2012
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2012
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Trading Symbol	PKG
Entity Registrant Name	PACKAGING CORP OF AMERICA
Entity Central Index Key	0000075677
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		98,144,983

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 515,121	$ 156,313
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts and customer deductions of $5,108 and $5,034 as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	353,527	319,988
Inventories	258,620	254,675
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	33,929	18,298
Federal and state income taxes receivable	85,769
Deferred income taxes	38,720	62,789
Total current assets	1,285,686	812,063
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,393,730	1,476,654
Goodwill	71,555	58,214
Other intangible assets, net	35,594	25,042
Other long-term assets	44,926	40,526
Total assets	2,831,491	2,412,499
Current liabilities:
Current maturities of long-term debt	414,657	15,000
Capital lease obligations	933	718
Accounts payable	134,113	154,855
Dividends payable	24,480	19,680
Accrued interest	12,782	12,584
Federal and state income taxes payable		10,404
Accrued liabilities	102,983	163,259
Total current liabilities	689,948	376,500
Long-term liabilities:
Long-term debt	786,110	793,448
Capital lease obligations	25,394	21,114
Deferred income taxes	125,056	11,924
Pension and postretirement benefit plans	151,819	148,686
Cellulosic biofuel tax reserve	102,051	102,051
Other long-term liabilities	28,393	29,866
Total long-term liabilities	1,218,823	1,107,089
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 300,000,000 shares authorized, 98,092,959 and 98,324,974 shares issued as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively	981	983
Additional paid in capital	363,174	351,804
Retained earnings	661,600	673,960
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax:
Unrealized loss on treasury locks, net	(31,900)	(23,289)
Unrealized loss on foreign currency exchange contracts	(403)	(413)
Unfunded employee benefit obligations	(70,732)	(74,076)
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss	(103,035)	(97,778)
Common stock held in treasury, at cost (2,355 shares as of December 31, 2011)		(59)
Total stockholders' equity	922,720	928,910
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$ 2,831,491	$ 2,412,499

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable and customer deductions	$ 5,108	$ 5,034
Common stock, par value	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	300,000,000	300,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	98,092,959	98,324,974
Common stock held in treasury, shares		2,355

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Net sales	$ 712,468	$ 665,481	$ 1,383,825	$ 1,294,981
Cost of sales	(554,360)	(528,580)	(1,080,698)	(1,024,939)
Gross profit	158,108	136,901	303,127	270,042
Selling and administrative expenses	(52,868)	(48,192)	(104,810)	(96,144)
Corporate overhead	(17,736)	(16,352)	(34,624)	(31,905)
Alternative fuel mixture credits			95,500
Other expense, net	(3,646)	(4,498)	(6,225)	(8,231)
Income from operations	83,858	67,859	252,968	133,762
Interest expense, net	(13,256)	(6,321)	(22,939)	(13,224)
Income before taxes	70,602	61,538	230,029	120,538
Provision for income taxes	(25,448)	(22,170)	(167,031)	(43,753)
Net income	$ 45,154	$ 39,368	$ 62,998	$ 76,785
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
Basic	96,266	100,094	96,432	100,416
Diluted	97,411	101,128	97,596	101,518
Net income per common share:
Basic	$ 0.47	$ 0.39	$ 0.65	$ 0.76
Diluted	0.46	0.39	0.65	0.76
Dividends declared per common share	$ 0.25	$ 0.20	$ 0.50	$ 0.40
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Fair value adjustments to cash flow hedges	$ (17,701)	$ 39	$ (10,183)	$ 5,722
Reclassification adjustment for cash flow hedges included in net income	1,859	(281)	1,582	(563)
Amortization of pension and postretirement plans actuarial loss and prior service cost	1,672	951	3,344	1,902
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(14,170)	709	(5,257)	7,061
Comprehensive income	$ 30,984	$ 40,077	$ 57,741	$ 83,846

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income	$ 62,998	$ 76,785
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation, depletion and amortization	85,082	79,934
Amortization of financing costs	396	250
Amortization of net loss on treasury lock	2,572	(923)
Share-based compensation expense	5,731	4,704
Deferred income tax provision	16,906	14,179
Cellulosic biofuel producer credit reduction	142,251
Alternative fuel mixture credits	(87,897)
Loss on disposals of property, plant and equipment	3,672	5,415
Other, net	6,891	5,401
(Increase) decrease in assets -
Accounts receivable	(26,380)	(34,361)
Inventories	(2,065)	15,535
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	(15,184)	(12,845)
Increase (decrease) in liabilities -
Accounts payable	(23,845)	36,401
Accrued liabilities	(21,083)	(25,292)
Net cash provided by operating activities	150,045	165,183
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Additions to property, plant and equipment	(69,322)	(145,150)
Treasury grant proceeds	57,399
Acquisition of businesses	(35,393)	(26,942)
Additions to other long term assets	(1,601)	(6,530)
Proceeds from disposals of property, plant and equipment	20	419
Net cash used for investing activities	(48,897)	(178,203)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from long-term debt	397,044
Payments on long-term debt	(7,929)	(330)
Financing costs paid	(892)
Settlement of treasury lock	(65,500)	9,910
Common stock dividends paid	(44,296)	(35,795)
Repurchases of common stock	(33,305)	(45,392)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	11,184	6,335
Excess tax benefits from share-based awards	1,354	917
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	257,660	(64,355)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	358,808	(77,375)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	156,313	196,556
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 515,121	$ 119,181

Basis of Presentation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Basis of Presentation

1. Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements as of June 30, 2012 and 2011 of Packaging Corporation of America (“PCA” or the “Company”) and for the three- and six-month periods then ended are unaudited but include all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) that management considers necessary for a fair presentation of such financial statements. These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for interim financial information and with Article 10 of SEC Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States for complete audited financial statements. Operating results for the period ended June 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2012. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with PCA’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

Summary of Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Summary of Accounting Policies

2. Summary of Accounting Policies

Basis of Consolidation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of PCA include all majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. The Company has one joint venture that is accounted for under the equity method.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue as title to the products is transferred to customers. The cost of shipping and handling products billed to a customer are included in net sales. Shipping and product handling costs not billed to a customer are included in cost of sales. In addition, the Company offers volume rebates to certain of its customers. The cost of these rebates is estimated and accrued as a reduction to net sales at the time of the respective sale.

Segment Information

PCA is engaged in one line of business: the integrated manufacture and sale of packaging materials, boxes and containers for industrial and consumer markets. No single customer accounts for more than 10% of total net sales.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2011-12, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) – Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05.” This ASU effectively defers only those changes in Update 2011-05 as discussed below that relate to the presentation of reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income and gives the FASB additional time to redeliberate the presentation requirements for reclassification adjustments. The amendments in this ASU are effective for public entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has complied with the provisions of ASU 2011-12 upon its adoption on January 1, 2012.

In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, “Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) — Testing Goodwill for Impairment,” which simplifies how entities test goodwill for impairment. The amendments in this update provide an entity the option to make a qualitative evaluation about the likelihood of goodwill impairment to determine whether it should calculate the fair value of a reporting unit. ASU 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2012 did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The Company will complete its annual goodwill impairment test under this new guidance in the fourth quarter of 2012.

In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Presentation of Comprehensive Income.” The amendments in this ASU require that all nonowner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The provisions in this update should be applied retrospectively and are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has complied with the additional provisions of ASU 2011-05 upon its adoption on January 1, 2012. See Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income for additional information.

In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) — Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs.” The amendments in this ASU clarify the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, which will improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. ASU 2011-04 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. See Note 11 for additional information.

Earnings Per Share

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Earnings Per Share

3. Earnings Per Share

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted income per common share for the periods presented.


	Three Months Ended June 30,
	2012		2011
(In thousands, except per share data)
Numerator:
Net income	$	45,154	$	39,368
Denominator:
Basic common shares outstanding		96,266		100,094
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock options and unvested restricted stock		1,145		1,034

Diluted common shares outstanding		97,411		101,128

Basic income per common share	$	0.47	$	0.39
Diluted income per common share	$	0.46	$	0.39


	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2012		2011
(In thousands, except per share data)
Numerator:
Net income	$	62,998	$	76,785
Denominator:
Basic common shares outstanding		96,432		100,416
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock options and unvested restricted stock		1,164		1,102

Diluted common shares outstanding		97,596		101,518

Basic income per common share	$	0.65	$	0.76
Diluted income per common share	$	0.65	$	0.76

All outstanding options to purchase shares for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 were included in the computation of diluted common shares outstanding.

Stock-Based Compensation

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

Stock-Based Compensation

4. Stock-Based Compensation

In October 1999, the Company adopted a long-term equity incentive plan, which allows for grants of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and performance awards to directors, officers and employees of PCA, as well as others who engage in services for PCA. Restricted stock awards granted to officers and employees generally vest at the end of a four-year period, and restricted stock awards granted to directors vest immediately. The Company has not granted any option awards since 2007. The plan, which will terminate on October 19, 2014, provides for the issuance of up to 8,550,000 shares of common stock over the life of the plan. As of June 30, 2012, options and restricted stock for 8,045,383 shares have been granted, net of forfeitures. Forfeitures are added back to the pool of shares of common stock available to be granted at a future date.

A summary of the Company’s stock option activity and related information follows:


	Options			Weighted- Average Exercise Price		Weighted- Average Remaining Contractual Term (years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
								(In thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 2011		1,224,699		$	21.64
Exercised		(535,002	)		20.90
Forfeited		(1,250	)		23.09

Outstanding and exercisable at June 30, 2012		688,447		$	22.23		1.5	$	4,141

The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the three months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 was $0.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively, and during the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 was $4.4 million and $2.6 million, respectively. As of June 30, 2012, there is no unrecognized compensation cost related to stock option awards granted under the Company’s equity incentive plan as all outstanding awards have vested.

A summary of the Company’s restricted stock activity follows:


	2012						2011
	Shares			Fair Market Value at Date of Grant			Shares			Fair Market Value at Date of Grant
(Dollars in thousands)
Restricted stock at January 1		1,817,745		$	40,655			1,478,000		$	30,600
Granted		394,928			10,846			574,496			15,975
Vested		(104,069	)		(2,823	)		(214,261	)		(5,498	)
Cancellations		(7,550	)		(157	)		(3,465	)		(72	)

Restricted stock at June 30		2,101,054		$	48,521			1,834,770		$	41,005

Compensation expense for restricted stock recognized in the condensed consolidated statements of income for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2012 and 2011 was as follows:


	Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
	2012			2011			2012			2011
(In thousands)
Impact on income before income taxes	$	(3,137	)	$	(2,954	)	$	(5,731	)	$	(4,704	)
Income tax benefit		1,219			1,149			2,228			1,830

Impact on net income	$	(1,918	)	$	(1,805	)	$	(3,503	)	$	(2,874	)

The fair value of restricted stock is determined based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date.

The Company generally recognizes compensation expense associated with restricted stock awards ratably over their vesting periods. As PCA’s Board of Directors has the ability to accelerate vesting of restricted stock upon an employee’s retirement, the Company accelerates the recognition of compensation expense for certain employees approaching normal retirement age. As of June 30, 2012, there was $26.7 million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to the above restricted stock awards. The Company expects to recognize the cost of these stock awards over a weighted-average period of 2.9 years.

Summary of Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Summary of Accounting Policies (Policies)	Jun. 30, 2012
Basis Of Consolidation	*Basis of Consolidation* The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements of PCA include all majority-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated. The Company has one joint venture that is accounted for under the equity method.
Use Of Estimates	*Use of Estimates* The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts in the financial statements and the accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Revenue Recognition	*Revenue Recognition* The Company recognizes revenue as title to the products is transferred to customers. The cost of shipping and handling products billed to a customer are included in net sales. Shipping and product handling costs not billed to a customer are included in cost of sales. In addition, the Company offers volume rebates to certain of its customers. The cost of these rebates is estimated and accrued as a reduction to net sales at the time of the respective sale.
Segment Information	*Segment Information* PCA is engaged in one line of business: the integrated manufacture and sale of packaging materials, boxes and containers for industrial and consumer markets. No single customer accounts for more than 10% of total net sales.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	*Recent Accounting Pronouncements* In December 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2011-12, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) – Deferral of the Effective Date for Amendments to the Presentation of Reclassifications of Items Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Accounting Standards Update No. 2011-05.” This ASU effectively defers only those changes in Update 2011-05 as discussed below that relate to the presentation of reclassification adjustments out of accumulated other comprehensive income and gives the FASB additional time to redeliberate the presentation requirements for reclassification adjustments. The amendments in this ASU are effective for public entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has complied with the provisions of ASU 2011-12 upon its adoption on January 1, 2012. In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, “Intangibles — Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) — Testing Goodwill for Impairment,” which simplifies how entities test goodwill for impairment. The amendments in this update provide an entity the option to make a qualitative evaluation about the likelihood of goodwill impairment to determine whether it should calculate the fair value of a reporting unit. ASU 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance on January 1, 2012 did not impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. The Company will complete its annual goodwill impairment test under this new guidance in the fourth quarter of 2012. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, “Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) — Presentation of Comprehensive Income.” The amendments in this ASU require that all nonowner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The provisions in this update should be applied retrospectively and are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company has complied with the additional provisions of ASU 2011-05 upon its adoption on January 1, 2012. See Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income for additional information. In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820) — Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs.” The amendments in this ASU clarify the application of existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, which will improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRSs. ASU 2011-04 is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this guidance did not have any impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows. See Note 11 for additional information.

Summary of Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of joint ventures under equity method	1
Percent of net sales threshold used to determine major customers	10.00%

Summary of Stock Option Activity (Detail) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Options
Options, Outstanding, Beginning Balance \| shares	1,224,699
Options, Exercised \| shares	(535,002)
Options, Forfeited \| shares	(1,250)
Options, Outstanding and exercisable, Ending Balance \| shares	688,447
Weighted-Average Exercise Price
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Outstanding, Beginning Balance \| $ / shares	$ 21.64
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Exercised \| $ / shares	20.90
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Forfeited \| $ / shares	23.09
Weighted-Average Exercise Price, Outstanding and exercisable, Ending Balance \| $ / shares	$ 22.23
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (years)
Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Term (years), Outstanding and exercisable, Ending Balance	1 year 6 months
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Aggregate Intrinsic Value, Outstanding and exercisable, Ending Balance \| $	$ 4,141

Summary of Restricted Stock Activity (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Restricted Shares
Restricted stock, Shares, Beginning Balance	1,817,745	1,478,000
Restricted stock, Shares, Granted	394,928	574,496
Restricted stock, Shares, Vested	(104,069)	(214,261)
Restricted stock, Shares, Cancellations	(7,550)	(3,465)
Restricted stock, Shares, Ending Balance	2,101,054	1,834,770
Fair Market Value at Date of Grant
Restricted stock, Fair Market Value at Date of Grant, Beginning Balance	$ 40,655	$ 30,600
Restricted stock, Granted, Fair Market Value at Date of Grant	10,846	15,975
Restricted stock, Vested, Fair Market Value at Date of Grant	(2,823)	(5,498)
Restricted stock, Shares, Cancellations	(157)	(72)
Restricted stock, Fair Market Value at Date of Grant, Ending Balance	$ 48,521	$ 41,005

Components of Inventories (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Schedule of Inventory [Line Items]
Raw materials	$ 123,548	$ 126,489
Work in process	8,570	7,610
Finished goods	76,674	74,391
Supplies and materials	117,029	115,541
Inventories at FIFO or average cost	325,821	324,031
Excess of FIFO or average cost over LIFO cost	(67,201)	(69,356)
Inventories, net	$ 258,620	$ 254,675

Changes in Carrying Amount of Goodwill (Detail) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance as of December 31, 2011	$ 58,214
Acquisition	14,098
Adjustments related to purchase accounting	(757)
Balance at June 30, 2012	$ 71,555

Components of Other Intangible Assets (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 44,856	$ 32,869
Accumulated Amortization	$ 9,262	7,827
Customer Relationships
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life	18 years 2 months 12 days
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 44,161	32,520
Accumulated Amortization	$ 9,108	7,771
Other Intangible Assets
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Weighted Average Life	3 years
Gross Carrying Amount	$ 695	349
Accumulated Amortization	$ 154	$ 56

Employee Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefits - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]
Company's expected contribution to pension plan in fiscal year 2012	$ 37.2
Company's contribution to pension plan	$ 11.9

Summary of Debt (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total	$ 1,200,767	$ 808,448
Less current portion	414,657	15,000
Total long-term debt	786,110	793,448
Receivables Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility	109,000	109,000
Senior Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility	142,500	150,000
5.75% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, net of discount	399,657	399,486
6.50% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, net of discount	149,965	$ 149,962
Senior Notes Three Point Nine Percentage Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, net of discount	$ 399,645

Debt - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Senior Notes Three Point Nine Percentage Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes issued		$ 399,645	$ 399,645
Senior notes, stated interest percentage		3.90%	3.90%
Senior notes, due date			Jun. 15, 2022
5.75% Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes issued		$ 399,657	$ 399,657	$ 399,486
Senior notes, stated interest percentage		5.75%	5.75%	5.75%
Senior notes, due date			Aug. 01, 2013	Aug. 01, 2013
5.75% Senior Notes \| Repayment of Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes, stated interest percentage		5.75%	5.75%
Senior notes, due date		Aug. 01, 2013
Redemption of senior notes		$ 400,000	$ 400,000
Senior notes, cost to redemption	$ 432,500
Senior notes, redemption premium	21,300
Senior notes, accrued and unpaid interest	$ 11,200

Transfers of Financial Assets - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)
Assets and Associated Liabilities of Transfers Accounted for as Secured Borrowings [Line Items]
Receivables-backed revolving credit facility	$ 200.0
Receivables credit facility outstanding	$ 109.0

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($) Year	Jun. 30, 2011 USD ($)
Derivative [Line Items]
U.S. Treasury Note, maturity term (in years) \| Year	10
(Proceeds from) or payments to settlement of interest rate protection agreement	$ (65,500)	$ 9,910
Foreign currency forward contracts settled for a loss, amount	$ 700
Number of foreign currency forward contracts outstanding	0
Net amount of settlement gains or losses on derivative instruments included in accumulated OCI, net gain amortized	$ 3,300
Net amount of settlement gains or losses on derivative instruments included in accumulated OCI, net gain realized after tax	2,100
Ineffective portion of derivative instruments	3,400
Interest Rate Contract
Derivative [Line Items]
Net amount of settlement gains or losses on derivative instruments included in accumulated OCI, net gain amortized	2,200
Net amount of settlement gains or losses on derivative instruments included in accumulated OCI, net gain realized after tax	1,400
Two Thousand And Three Interest Rate Protection Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
(Proceeds from) or payments to settlement of interest rate protection agreement	22,800
Two Thousand And Eight Interest Rate Protection Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
(Proceeds from) or payments to settlement of interest rate protection agreement	4,400
Two Thousand And Ten Interest Rate Protection Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
(Proceeds from) or payments to settlement of interest rate protection agreement	9,900
Two Thousand And Eleven Interest Rate Protection Agreement
Derivative [Line Items]
(Proceeds from) or payments to settlement of interest rate protection agreement	$ 65,500

Fair Value Measurements - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value, Measurement Inputs, Disclosure [Line Items]
Long-term debt, carrying value	$ 1,200,767	$ 808,448
Long-term debt, fair value	1,248,500	856,900
Capital lease obligation, carrying value	$ 26,300	$ 21,800

Environmental Liabilities - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)
Site Contingency [Line Items]
Remediation costs	$ 3.2
Environmental reserve	$ 10.9

Stock Repurchase Program - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Dec. 14, 2011	Feb. 22, 2011	Mar. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012
Stock Repurchase Program [Line Items]
Common stock repurchase authorized amount		$ 100.0
Total stock repurchased, shares			3,996,118
Common stock repurchased and retired, shares			35,563
Common stock repurchased and retired, value			$ 1.0
Common stock repurchase price per share			$ 29.40
Stock Repurchase Program Additional Authorization
Stock Repurchase Program [Line Items]
Common stock repurchase authorized amount	$ 150.0
Common stock repurchased and retired, shares				371,322
Common stock repurchased and retired, value				$ 10.1
Common stock repurchase price per share				$ 27.13
Common stock repurchase authorization amount available				$ 117.7

Alternative Energy Tax Credits - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2009
Alternative Energy Tax Credits [Line Items]
Uncertain tax positions			$ 102,000,000
Provision for income taxes	$ 25,448,000	$ 22,170,000		$ 167,031,000	$ 43,753,000
Tax credits used to offset future cash tax payment	$ 100,500,000			100,500,000
Alternative Fuel Mixture Credits
Alternative Energy Tax Credits [Line Items]
Refundable tax credit per gallon						$ 0.50
Alternative energy tax credits				95,500,000
Cellulosic Biofuel Tax Credits
Alternative Energy Tax Credits [Line Items]
Refundable tax credit per gallon						$ 1.01
Alternative energy tax credits			5,000,000	23,000,000
Provision for income taxes				$ 118,500,000
Amended Two Thousand Nine Federal Return
Alternative Energy Tax Credits [Line Items]
Cellulosic biofuel producer credits			$ 107,000,000

Legal Proceedings - Additional Information (Detail)	2 Months Ended
Legal Proceedings - Additional Information (Detail)	Oct. 31, 2010
Legal Proceedings [Line Items]
Number of lawsuits filed by the plaintiffs	5
Number of other U.S. and Canadian containerboard producers	PCA and eight other U.S. and Canadian containerboard producers were named as defendants

Valdosta Mill Fire Insurance Recovery - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($) ton	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)
Unusual or Infrequent Item [Line Items]
Sale volume losses, in tons \| ton	11,000
Insurance deductible		$ 3.0
Insurance claim, net of deductible		$ 9.4
Received additional insurance proceeds for capital expenditures	$ 0.9

Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 16, 2012	Nov. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 10, 2011	Apr. 14, 2011
Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, useful life, in years			18 years 2 months 12 days
Other Intangible Assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, useful life, in years			3 years
Field Packaging Group
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition date			Apr. 14, 2011
Business acquisition, cost of acquired entity					$ 26.9
Purchase price allocation to goodwill			$ 11.5
Field Packaging Group \| Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition purchase price allocation, assets			$ 9.5
Intangible asset, useful life, in years			10 years
Field Packaging Group \| Other Intangible Assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition purchase price allocation, assets			$ 0.2
Intangible asset, useful life, in years			3 years
Packaging Materials Company
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition date			Sep. 10, 2011
Business acquisition, cost of acquired entity				$ 8.6
Purchase price allocation to goodwill				$ 1.5
Colorado Container
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition date			Nov. 30, 2011
Business acquisition, cost of acquired entity		$ 21.8
Purchase price allocation to goodwill		5.8
Colorado Container \| Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition purchase price allocation, assets		$ 5.8
Intangible asset, useful life, in years		10 years
Colorado Container \| Other Intangible Assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition purchase price allocation, assets		$ 0.2
Intangible asset, useful life, in years		3 years
Packaging Specialists
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition date			Mar. 16, 2012
Business acquisition, cost of acquired entity	$ 35.4
Business acquisition purchase price allocation, goodwill	14.0
Packaging Specialists \| Customer Relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition purchase price allocation, assets	$ 11.4
Business acquisition, asset acquired useful life	10 years
Packaging Specialists \| Other Intangible Assets
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition purchase price allocation, assets	$ 0.3
Business acquisition, asset acquired useful life	3 years

US Treasury Grant - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Apr. 15, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012
United States Treasury Grant [Line Items]
Grant proceeds received from U.S. Treasury	$ 57,399	$ 57,399

Subsequent Events - Additional Information (Detail) - 5.75% Senior Notes - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jul. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Senior notes, stated interest percentage		5.75%		5.75%	5.75%
Repayment of Debt
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Redemption of senior notes		$ 400.0		$ 400.0
Senior notes, stated interest percentage		5.75%		5.75%
Senior notes, cost to redemption	$ 432.5
Senior notes, redemption premium	21.3
Senior notes, accrued and unpaid interest	$ 11.2
Senior notes, redemption premium			$ 21.2
Senior notes, redemption charge after tax			$ 13.6