It is encouraging to see concerns over handling and disposal.
While "the label is the law", the label is only the minimum
requirements.

One can do better.
I suggest that we are obligated to do so.

>> My question is how did/does anyone dispose of these strips and conform
>> with the label.  the label I have says to wrap in newspapers and dispose in a
>> sanitary land fill.  I don't know about the rest of the country but we
>> haven't had a landfill in Massachusetts in 20 years.

Most of the Coumaphos Section 18s are nearly identical copies of others,
and say something like this (this is the Calif version)
www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/sec18/pdf/01-05.htm

    ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
    This pesticide is toxic to birds, fish and aquatic invertebrates.
    Do not apply directly to any body of water. Do not contaminate
    water when disposing of used strips.

    STORAGE and DISPOSAL
    Do not contaminate water, food or feed by storage or disposal.
    ....Securely wrap strips and/or container packaging in several
    layers of newspapers and dispose in a sanitary land fill.

I was surprised to find that the EPA now feels that newspaper is an
effective containment method for toxic substances, and an approved
method for protecting birds, fish, invertebrates, and groundwater.
This appears to be a new, creative, and innovative use of the term
"Environmental Protection", one to which we hitherto have not been
exposed.

Face it - The "disposal" instructions are simply not clear enough
to avoid the hazards described on the same label.  The term
"sanitary landfill" is a classic oxymoron, but worse, it is vague
enough to guarantee that nearly 100% of the strips will end up
in household trashcans, when any other pesticide would not be
permitted to enter the general "solid waste mass".

Now, imagine a junior high school biology quiz in 2045:

    Which was the most dangerous product created
    between 1920 - 2000 in the trans-national conglomerates'
    attempts to offer "better living through chemistry"?

          a)  DDT
          b)  Agent Orange
          c)  Tang Orange Drink
          d)  Organophosphates
          e)  Methamphetamines
          f)   Saran Wrap

> My take on it is that if you put them in the municipal trash
> system, you have fulfilled your obligation to the label.

This may be the MINIMUM requirement, but the next
line is the ominous hollow thunk of the other shoe dropping:

> You cannot know where they go next.

If you don't know where it goes, how can you send it there?
Everything has to go somewhere, after all.  "Somewhere" is
often near birds, fish, et al.

Any pesticide is a "hazardous household waste", by definition.
Most towns have "collection days", where one can take all
one's toxic stuff to trained pros for proper disposal.

The EPA describes and lists the local programs here:

http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/househld/hhw.htm

But if one were to store one's coumaphos in a tightly-sealed "paint
can" type can for up to a year with plans to take it to the disposal
experts on your local annual "Haz-Mat Day", would one be violating
the Section 18 regulations?  I can't tell from the information provided.

Here's an idea - take the sealed can to your local clinic or hospital.
Explain exactly what it is.  Take a copy of the label. They get regular
Haz-Mat pickups.  If they have any civic pride, they will put it in the
"biohazard" bin.

If they don't want your strips, stop by the fire department.  Most fire
departments have someone who has taken a Haz-Mat course,
and can direct you to the correct local people.

As wrapping things in newspaper, please recall that Clark Kent
worked at the Daily Planet, so you can infer that there is no
Kyrptonite in newsprint.

        ji