Asbestos in sand products

Since November 2025, several play, hobby, and arts products that contain sand have been found to include small amounts of asbestos in New Zealand and overseas.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that can appear alongside other mined materials. The presence of asbestos in the product is due to the occurrence of asbestos in the material it was mined from.

Information on the prohibition of importing asbestos into New Zealand can be found on the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) website.

Permit to import asbestos-containing products(external link) – EPA

Health New Zealand advise that asbestos is a proven substance that can increase your risk of developing cancer (carcinogen), mainly via breathing in air that contains asbestos fibres. 

You can find more information about health risks from asbestos in sand products on the Health New Zealand website. 

Asbestos in sand(external link) – Health New Zealand 

Businesses that produce or sell products are responsible for making sure the goods they supply are safe. Any consumer products found to contain any amount including traces of asbestos should be recalled.

Before you buy a product that contains sand you could contact the business to request confirmation the product has been tested and that no asbestos has been detected.

If you have a product you suspect contains asbestos, you can send it to an accredited testing laboratory for peace of mind. More information about testing methods for asbestos can be found here:

Advice for suppliers of consumer products containing sand

If the test result shows that asbestos is present, please advise the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Product Safety using the Report an unsafe product form including the test report.

Test reports must clearly list the name and brand of the product, as well as other identifiers such as bar codes and batch numbers if possible. A photograph of the product packaging before it is tested is also helpful.

Please double bag the product and store it safely out of children’s reach in case further testing may be required.

Report an unsafe product form

MBIE Product Safety investigate positive test reports from the public and monitor recalls in other markets.

Under the Fair Trading Act 1986, MBIE is responsible for publishing voluntary product safety recall notices prepared by the recalling business.

Information about the recalled sand products and all other recalls have been published on the Product Safety website.

Follow the guidance provided by the business on the recall notice. A full, up-to-date list of recalled sand products can be found in the link below.

Recalled products

Stop using the product immediately and dispose of it as instructed by the supplier and Health New Zealand.

Contact the supplier for refund options.

You might also be able to get compensation from the supplier under the Consumer Guarantees Act if you’ve incurred losses related to the recalled product (for example, clean-up costs). This will be for consumers to discuss directly with the suppliers.

You can find more information on your rights with unsafe products under the Consumer Guarantees Act here:

Know your rights to a refund, replacement or repair(external link) – Consumer Protection

You can call Healthline free anytime on 0800 611 116 to discuss any health concerns you may have. Healthline can advise if you, a child or a family member needs to see a healthcare professional for review.

You can keep up to date with latest sand product recalls on the Product Safety website or Product Recalls Facebook page.

Recalled products

Specialist advice on asbestos impacts and management is also available for:

• educational facilities from the Ministry of Education  
• workplaces from WorkSafe.

You can find information here:
Asbestos in coloured sand(external link) – Ministry of Education
Asbestos in coloured sand(external link) – WorkSafe

New research from Auckland University of Technology (AUT) on how asbestos fibres in sand can become respirable when disturbed or handled has been released.

MBIE acknowledges AUT study of asbestos in sand products(external link) – MBIE

Health New Zealand will change their advice if necessary.