INDUSTRY SEGMENT INFORMATION (Operating Profit by Industry Segment Footnotes) (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended									9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015		Jun. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2015		Sep. 30, 2014
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	$ 186,000,000			$ 0						$ 186,000,000		$ 0
Restructuring and other charges	25,000,000		$ 194,000,000	24,000,000		$ 307,000,000		$ 499,000,000		219,000,000		830,000,000
Multiemployer plans, withdrawal obligation				35,000,000								35,000,000
(Gain) loss on legal settlement				(20,000,000)								(20,000,000)
Litigation settlement interest				(2,000,000)								(2,000,000)
Interest expense, net	(141,000,000)			(158,000,000)						(422,000,000)		(465,000,000)
Net gain on sale of Carolina Coated Bristols brand and the Riegelwood mill conversion costs [member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring and other charges	7,000,000	[1]	$ (14,000,000)							(7,000,000)	[1]
Brazil Packaging Business [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring and other charges						(7,000,000)						(5,000,000)
EMEA Packaging Restructuring [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring and other charges				5,000,000								5,000,000
Ontario sheet plant closure [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring and other charges	1,000,000	[1]		2,000,000						2,000,000	[1]	4,000,000
Courtland mill shutdown [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring and other charges				3,000,000	[1]	$ 49,000,000	[1]	$ 495,000,000	[1]			547,000,000
Restructuring Charges [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring and other charges				1,000,000								3,000,000
Printing Papers [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Interest expense, net				6,000,000								6,000,000
BRAZIL
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Litigation settlement interest				8,000,000								8,000,000
Tax adjustments, settlements, and unusual provisions				32,000,000								32,000,000
Temple Inland Inc [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Integration costs				$ 1,000,000								$ 15,000,000
IP-Sun JV [Member] | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	$ 186,000,000.00									$ 186,000,000.00
Percentage of equity interest	55.00%									55.00%

[1] During 2013, the Company deferred accelerating depreciation for certain assets as we evaluated possible alternative uses by one of our other businesses. During the first quarter of 2014, we completed our evaluation and concluded that there were no alternative uses for these assets. We recognized approximately $430 million and approximately $36 million of accelerated depreciation related to these assets during the first and second quarters of 2014, respectively. Other components of the second quarter of 2014 Courtland mill shutdown cost include site closure costs of $7 million, and severance charges of $6 million. Other components of the first quarter of 2014 Courtland mill shutdown cost include site closure costs of $30 million, severance charges of $15 million and $20 million of other non-cash charges. Components of the third quarter 2014 Courtland mill shutdown cost include severance charges of $2 million.