As of 2010, the vitamin industry is booming as people in the United States to vitamins as a cheaper alternative to the doctor to ward off or treat illness, according to Alex Williams of the New York Times. People don't always use vitamins by the expiration date listed on the bottle. When this happens, people look for ways to use the safely so they still can get some return out of their purchase.
Compost
The Busy Bee's Gardening Club website suggests using your expired vitamins for compost. This is probably the most useful way to get rid of expired vitamins without tossing them in the trash because it generates growth instead of piling up waste. Plants, like people, need substances like iron, calcium, zinc and magnesium to grow well. Vitamins that contain these substances thus can improve your garden. You can have your soil tested to figure out what vitamins would be most helpful. Any fruits or vegetables you grow in the garden will be safe for consumption because the vitamins you use in the compost contain items that are safe for people anyway--the only reason you shouldn't take expired vitamins outright is because they can lose potency and not achieve the desired affect, according to the Jigsaw Health and Benefits of Vitamins websites.
Arts and Crafts
Expired vitamins are similar in size and shape to beads and come in many colors. Use them in arts and crafts to make 3D pictures, or grind them down to make powder for paint. Since expired vitamins still can make a person sick if consumed in large quantities, supervise children carefully who may work on such crafts with you.
Noisemakers and Shakers
Like rice or marbles, vitamins will make noise when they hit up against a container. Use the vitamins as filler in plastic bottles or coffee cans to make noisemakers and shakers. You can use these at sporting events and parades and encourage others to make simple music. If you plan to let children use the noisemakers and shakers, put some heavy duty glue around the edges of the bottle or can lid before securing the top so the children can't pull the top off.
Cleansing Scrubs
Since the only real concern with expired vitamins is the loss of potency, you may safely use the vitamins to create cleansing scrubs--many commercial scrubs are fortified with vitamins thought to help your skin (e.g., vitamin E). Grind the vitamins up in a food processor and mix them with yogurt, avocado and lemon juice for a gentle exfoliating mix you can use on your body.
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