Operating Profit by Industry Segment (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Profit	$ 426		$ 483		$ 888		$ 1,068
Interest expense, net	(172)		(137)		(340)		(273)
Noncontrolling interests/equity earnings adjustment	4	[1]	9	[1]	8	[1]	7	[1]
Corporate items, net	(45)		(36)		(114)		(80)
Restructuring and other charges	(9)		(26)		(25)		(61)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity earnings	204		293		417		661
Equity earnings (loss), net of taxes	(26)		52		18		117
Ilim Holding
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Equity earnings (loss), net of taxes	(25)		52		15		108
Industrial Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Profit	260	[2]	269		475	[2]	548	[3]
Printing Papers
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Profit	104	[4]	243	[5]	250	[4]	444	[5]
Consumer Packaging
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Profit	57	[6]	(33)	[7]	160	[6]	67	[7]
Distribution
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Profit	$ 5	[8]	$ 4	[9]	$ 3	[8]	$ 9	[9]

[1] Operating profits for industry segments include each segment's percentage share of the profits of subsidiaries included in that segment that are less than wholly owned. The pre-tax noncontrolling interest and equity earnings for these subsidiaries are adjusted here to present consolidated earnings before income taxes and equity earnings.

[2] Includes a charge of $62 million for three months and six months ended June 30, 2012 to adjust the value of the long-lived assets of the Hueneme mill in Oxnard, California to their fair value in anticipation of its divestiture, charges of $35 million and $78 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2012, respectively, for integration costs associated with the acquisition of Temple-Inland, charges of $9 million for both the three months and six months ended June 30, 2012 for costs associated with the announced third-quarter 2012 divestiture of the Hueneme mill and two other containerboard mills, a charge of $20 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 related to the write-up of the Temple-Inland inventory to fair value, and charges of $1 million for other items.

[3] Includes charges of $2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 for additional closure costs for the Etienne mill in France and a gain of $7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 for a bargain purchase price adjustment on an acquisition by our joint venture in Turkey

[4] Includes losses of $2 million and $1 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2012, respectively, related to the acquisition of a majority interest in Andhra Pradesh Paper Mills Limited.

[5] Includes a gain of $21 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2011 related to the repurposing of the Franklin, Virginia mill to produce fluff pulp and a charge of $8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 for asset impairment costs associated with the Inverurie mill.

[6] Includes a loss of $6 million for the three months ended June 30, 2012 and a net gain of $1 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 for adjustments related to the sale of the Shorewood business.

[7] Includes a charge of $129 million for both the three months and six months ended June 30, 2011 for a fixed asset impairment of the North American Shorewood business and charges of $2 million and $3 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2011, respectively, related to the reorganization of the Company's Shorewood operations.

[8] Includes a charge of $12 million and $33 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2012, respectively, associated with the restructuring of the Company's xpedx operations.

[9] Includes charges of $10 million and $17 million for the three months and six months ended June 30, 2011, respectively, associated with the restructuring of the Company's xpedx operations.