Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	NOTE 1 — BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES *Basis of Presentation* The information furnished herein reflects all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of April 30, 2015 and October 31, 2014, the condensed consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income for the three and six months ended April 30, 2015 and 2014 and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six month periods ended April 30, 2015 and 2014 of Greif, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”). The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Greif, Inc., all wholly-owned and consolidated subsidiaries and investments in limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures in which it has controlling influence. Non-majority owned entities include investments in limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures in which the Company does not have controlling influence and are accounted for using either the equity or cost method, as appropriate. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Form 10-Q”) should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended October 31, 2014 (the “2014 Form 10-K”). The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) instructions to Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and include all of the information and disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates. The Company’s fiscal year begins on November 1 and ends on October 31 of the following year. Any references to the year 2015 or 2014, or to any quarter of those years, relates to the fiscal year or quarter, as the case may be, ended in that year. The 2014 amounts have been restated. See Note 20 – Quarterly Financial Data in the Company’s 2014 Form 10-K. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2015 presentation. *Recently Issued Accounting Standards* In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-03, “Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30)”. The objective of this update is to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs in the financial statements. Under the ASU, the Company would present such costs in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related debt liability rather than as an asset; amortization of the costs is reported as interest expense. The effective date will be the first quarter of fiscal year 2016. The Company would apply the new guidance retrospectively to all prior periods (i.e., the balance sheet for each period is adjusted). The ASU requires the Company to “disclose in the first fiscal year after the entity’s adoption date, and in the interim periods within the first fiscal year, the following: (1) The nature and reason for the change in accounting principle; (2) The transition method; (3) A description of the prior-period information that has been retrospectively adjusted; (4) The effect of the change on the financial statement line item (that is, the debt issuance costs asset and the debt liability). The Company has not yet determined the potential impact of adopting this guidance on its financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flow and disclosures. In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”, which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605, Revenue Recognition. This ASU is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. The update is effective in fiscal 2019 using one of two retrospective application methods. The Company has not yet determined the potential impact of adopting this guidance on its financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flow and disclosures. In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15 “Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as Going Concern”. The objective of this update is to reduce the diversity in the timing and content of footnote disclosures related to going concern. The amendments require management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently in U.S. auditing standards. This update applies to all entities that would be required to disclose information about its potential inability to continue as a going concern when “substantial doubt” about their ability to continue as a going concern exists. The Company will be required to evaluate “relevant conditions and events that are known and reasonably knowable at the date that the financial statements are issued.” The Company will have to document their consideration of the ASU, but not because the Company believes there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. The Company is expected to adopt this guidance beginning November 1, 2017, and the adoption of the new guidance is not expected to impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income or cash flows, other than the related disclosures.

NOTE 1 — BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The information furnished herein reflects all adjustments which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of April 30, 2015 and October 31, 2014, the condensed consolidated statements of income and comprehensive income for the three and six months ended April 30, 2015 and 2014 and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six month periods ended April 30, 2015 and 2014 of Greif, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”). The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Greif, Inc., all wholly-owned and consolidated subsidiaries and investments in limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures in which it has controlling influence. Non-majority owned entities include investments in limited liability companies, partnerships and joint ventures in which the Company does not have controlling influence and are accounted for using either the equity or cost method, as appropriate.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements included in the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (this “Form 10-Q”) should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for its fiscal year ended October 31, 2014 (the “2014 Form 10-K”).

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) instructions to Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and include all of the information and disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual amounts could differ from those estimates.

The Company’s fiscal year begins on November 1 and ends on October 31 of the following year. Any references to the year 2015 or 2014, or to any quarter of those years, relates to the fiscal year or quarter, as the case may be, ended in that year. The 2014 amounts have been restated. See Note 20 – Quarterly Financial Data in the Company’s 2014 Form 10-K.

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the 2015 presentation.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2015-03, “Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30)”. The objective of this update is to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs in the financial statements. Under the ASU, the Company would present such costs in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the related debt liability rather than as an asset; amortization of the costs is reported as interest expense. The effective date will be the first quarter of fiscal year 2016. The Company would apply the new guidance retrospectively to all prior periods (i.e., the balance sheet for each period is adjusted). The ASU requires the Company to “disclose in the first fiscal year after the entity’s adoption date, and in the interim periods within the first fiscal year, the following: (1) The nature and reason for the change in accounting principle; (2) The transition method; (3) A description of the prior-period information that has been retrospectively adjusted; (4) The effect of the change on the financial statement line item (that is, the debt issuance costs asset and the debt liability). The Company has not yet determined the potential impact of adopting this guidance on its financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flow and disclosures.

In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”, which supersedes the revenue recognition requirements in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605, Revenue Recognition. This ASU is based on the principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU also requires additional disclosure about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, including significant judgments and changes in judgments and assets recognized from costs incurred to obtain or fulfill a contract. The update is effective in fiscal 2019 using one of two retrospective application methods. The Company has not yet determined the potential impact of adopting this guidance on its financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income, cash flow and disclosures.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-15 “Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as Going Concern”. The objective of this update is to reduce the diversity in the timing and content of footnote disclosures related to going concern. The amendments require management to assess an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently in U.S. auditing standards. This update applies to all entities that would be required to disclose information about its potential inability to continue as a going concern when “substantial doubt” about their ability to continue as a going concern exists. The Company will be required to evaluate “relevant conditions and events that are known and reasonably knowable at the date that the financial statements are issued.” The Company will have to document their consideration of the ASU, but not because the Company believes there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. The Company is expected to adopt this guidance beginning November 1, 2017, and the adoption of the new guidance is not expected to impact the Company’s financial position, results of operations, comprehensive income or cash flows, other than the related disclosures.