Shareholder Rights Agreement	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
Shareholder Rights Agreement [Abstract]
Shareholder Rights Agreement	11 SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT Pursuant to an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2009, with Computershare Investor Services, as Rights Agent (essentially renewing and extending our Rights Agreement, dated as of June 30, 1999), as amended, one right is attendant to each share of our common stock ("Right"). All Rights outstanding under the previous Rights Plan remain outstanding under the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement. Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from Tredegar one one-hundredth of a share of Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A (the "Preferred Stock"), at an exercise price of $150 (the "Purchase Price"). The Rights will become exercisable, if not earlier redeemed, only if a person or group acquires 10% or more of the outstanding shares of our common stock (thereby becoming an "Acquiring Person") or announces a tender offer that would result in ownership by a person or group of 10% or more of our common stock. Any action by a person or group whose beneficial ownership was reported on Amendment No. 4 to the Schedule 13D filed with respect to Tredegar on March 20, 1997, cannot cause such person or group to become an Acquiring Person and thereby cause the Rights to become exercisable. Each holder of a Right, upon the occurrence of certain events, will become entitled to receive, upon exercise and payment of the Purchase Price, Preferred Stock (or in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of Tredegar or a potential acquirer) having a value equal to twice the amount of the Purchase Price. The Rights are scheduled to expire on June 30, 2019.

11 SHAREHOLDER RIGHTS AGREEMENT

Pursuant to an Amended and Restated Rights Agreement, dated as of June 30, 2009, with Computershare Investor Services, as Rights Agent (essentially renewing and extending our Rights Agreement, dated as of June 30, 1999), as amended, one right is attendant to each share of our common stock ("Right"). All Rights outstanding under the previous Rights Plan remain outstanding under the Amended and Restated Rights Agreement.

Each Right entitles the registered holder to purchase from Tredegar one one-hundredth of a share of Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, Series A (the "Preferred Stock"), at an exercise price of $150 (the "Purchase Price"). The Rights will become exercisable, if not earlier redeemed, only if a person or group acquires 10% or more of the outstanding shares of our common stock (thereby becoming an "Acquiring Person") or announces a tender offer that would result in ownership by a person or group of 10% or more of our common stock. Any action by a person or group whose beneficial ownership was reported on Amendment No. 4 to the Schedule 13D filed with respect to Tredegar on March 20, 1997, cannot cause such person or group to become an Acquiring Person and thereby cause the Rights to become exercisable.

Each holder of a Right, upon the occurrence of certain events, will become entitled to receive, upon exercise and payment of the Purchase Price, Preferred Stock (or in certain circumstances, cash, property or other securities of Tredegar or a potential acquirer) having a value equal to twice the amount of the Purchase Price.

The Rights are scheduled to expire on June 30, 2019.