dcwcreations / Shutterstock.com Juice Boxes Recycling Cart dcwcreations / Shutterstock.com Empty Before Recycling Leftover food residue can contaminate the recycling stream, so completely empty out juice boxes before placing them in recycling. Take Out the Straws Items cannot be recycled when nested inside each other, so take straws out of juice boxes. Find out how to dispose of straws. Ways to Reduce Buy in Bulk Buying individually sized juice boxes creates more waste than purchasing juice in bulk. Consider purchasing a small reusable water bottle or thermos that you can refill instead of buying disposable juice boxes. Did You Know? Sorting Out Juice Cartons What Do Cartons Become? In places that are able to process them for recycling, the paper from cartons are recycled into paper products such as paper towels, tissues and office papers. The plastic and aluminum can be burned for energy or turned into ceiling tiles and synthetic lumber board materials.