Capital Stock (Details 2) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Common Stock
Shares outstanding at the beginning of the period		112,405,302	112,357,348	112,198,693	112,063,938
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held	[1]	32,310,937	31,697,498	31,519,768	31,479,310
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding		80,094,365	80,659,850	80,678,925	80,584,628
Stock options exercised				20,000
Vested Restricted Stock Units (in shares)		47,954	65,851	25,215
Stock issued during period, stock appreciation rights			9,213	2,713
Other Stock Grants (in shares)			83,591	86,827
Treasury shares purchased		0	0
Shares outstanding at the end of the period		112,405,302	112,357,348	112,198,693
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held	[1]	32,310,937	31,697,498	31,519,768
Common Stock, Shares, Outstanding		80,094,365	80,659,850	80,678,925
Reconciliation of the average shares of common stock used to compute basic earnings per common share to the shares used to compute diluted earnings per common share
Income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Harsco Corporation common stockholders (in dollars)		$ 7,168	$ (22,281)	$ (231,356)
Weighted average shares of common stock outstanding		80,234,000	80,884,000	80,755,000
Dilutive effect of stock-based compensation (in shares)		131,000	0	0
Weighted-average shares outstanding—diluted (in shares)		80,365,000	80,884,000	80,755,000
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations per common share, attributable to Harsco Corporation common stockholders:
Basic (in dollars per share)		$ 0.09	$ (0.28)	$ (2.86)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Diluted Share		$ 0.09	$ (0.28)	$ (2.86)
Treasury Stock [Member]
Common Stock
Stock options exercised	[1]			0
Vested Restricted Stock Units (in shares)	[1]	16,807	4,418	9,358
Stock issued during period, stock appreciation rights	[1]		2,985	521
Other Stock Grants (in shares)	[1]		20,327	30,579
Treasury shares purchased		(596,632)	(150,000)	0
Outstanding Shares
Common Stock
Stock options exercised				20,000
Vested Restricted Stock Units (in shares)		31,147	61,433	15,857
Stock issued during period, stock appreciation rights			6,228	2,192
Other Stock Grants (in shares)			63,264	56,248
Treasury shares purchased		(596,632)	(150,000)

[1] The Company repurchases shares in connection with the issuance of shares under stock-based compensation programs and in accordance with Board authorized share repurchase programs.