Throwing half-empty bottles of pesticides in the trash puts sanitation workers at risk. Streams have been contaminated. Children have been poisoned. Not only are the disposal instructions on the present labels dangerous, but they directly contradict state and local policies. Some communities place instructions on trashcans explicitly informing people that pesticides should not be thrown away with the garbage.
Product labels tell people the exact opposite.
To make matters worse, the local agencies that are responsible for your solid waste can be held liable for pesticide contamination at a waste disposal facility. The industry and our laws are starting to change in response to pesticides' dangers. The manufacturer of Dursban, a major pesticide ingredient, has agreed to stop producing this dangerous substance. Massachusetts recently passed a law that bans the use of pesticides in schools and day care centers. More good news is that the EPA is considering updating the disposal language on consumer pesticide labels.