Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2015 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2015 USD ($) shares $ / shares	Aug. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Aug. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of Days Used To Determine Short Term Highly Liquid Investments Treatment As Cash Equivalents			90 days
Book Overdrafts			$ 11,000,000	$ 35,000,000
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable			2,000,000	3,000,000
Long-Lived Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Long-lived assets			41,676,000	$ 0	$ 0
Total long-lived asset impairment charges			$ 44,342,000
Number of Equity Method Investments			5	5
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage			50.00%	50.00%
Retained Earnings, Undistributed Earnings from Equity Method Investees			$ 11,000,000	$ 10,000,000
Investment in joint venture partnership impairment			0	0	2,411,000
Goodwill impairment charges	$ 141,000,000	$ 0	141,021,000	0	321,000,000
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Losses			8,000,000	8,000,000	8,000,000
Other Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Long-lived assets			41,676,000	0	0
Assets held for sale			2,558,000	928,000	2,526,000
Contractual receivable			0	0	7,803,000
Investment in joint venture			0	0	2,411,000
Other			885,000	532,000	313,000
Other Asset Impairment Charges	$ 44,000,000		45,119,000	1,460,000	13,053,000
Workers' Compensation Liability			10,000,000	9,000,000
Net Realized and Unrealized Foreign Currency Transaction Gain (Loss)			$ 3,000,000
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest Purchase Date			Mar. 08, 2013
Number Of Preferred Share Purchase Rights Per Share of Common Stock | shares			1
Rights Expiration Date			Mar. 21, 2016
Cash, FDIC Insured Amount			$ 250,000
Customer Issued Letters Of Credit			33,000,000	74,000,000
Assets Held-for-sale, Not Part of Disposal Group			$ 2,000,000	3,000,000
Class A Common Stock
Other Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Common Stock, Voting Rights			1
Number Of Shares Class B Common Stock Convertible To Class A Common Stock | shares			1
Number of Shares of Class A Common Stock Reserved For Class B Common Stock | shares			1
Class B Common Stock
Other Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Common Stock, Voting Rights			1
Series A Preferred Stock
Other Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Class Of Warrant Or Right Number Of Shares Conversion Rate | shares			0.001
Class of Warrant or Right, Exercise Price of Warrants or Rights | $ / shares			$ 110
Minimum
Other Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Percent Of Common Stock Required To Be Acquired To Exercise Preferred Share Purchase Rights			15.00%
Minimum | Machinery and equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			3 years
Minimum | Land improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			3 years
Minimum | Building and Leasehold Improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			5 years
Minimum | Office equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			2 years
Minimum | Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) systems
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			11 years
Maximum | Machinery and equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			40 years
Maximum | Land improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			35 years
Maximum | Building and Leasehold Improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			40 years
Maximum | Office equipment
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			20 years
Maximum | Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) systems
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life			17 years
Discontinued Operations | Auto Parts Stores
Long-Lived Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Discontinued operations			$ 2,666,000
Auto and Metals Recycling
Long-Lived Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Long-lived assets			41,676,000
Goodwill impairment charges			141,021,000	0	321,000,000
Other Asset Impairment Charges [Abstract]
Long-lived assets			41,676,000
Other Asset Impairment Charges			$ 44,000,000	$ 1,000,000	$ 13,000,000
Auto and Metals Recycling | Minimum
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Shipment Period			30 days
Auto and Metals Recycling | Maximum
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Shipment Period			60 days