The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has issued a public recall for several brands of coloured sand products after tests found naturally occurring asbestos.
Affected products include:
- EC Rainbow Sand (1.3kg) – previously recalled
- Creatistics Coloured Sand (1kg) – previously recalled
- Craft Sand 380g (multiple colours) – sold at various
dollar general, coin save, $2 shop type stores
- Four magic sand products sold at Kmart NZ:
- 14-piece Sand Castle Building Set (Batch no: 42975724)
- Blue Magic Sand (Batch no: 42304364)
- Green Magic Sand (Batch no: 432919650)
- Pink Magic Sand (Batch no: 42304371)
These may have been sold in New Zealand through retailers including Paper Plus, Hobby Land, NZ School Shop, Office Products Depot, Discount Office, Acquire, and Qizzle. Some online retailers may also have supplied this product.
Central Otago District Council is urging residents to keep contaminated coloured sand products out of their kerbside rubbish bins. Material containing asbestos is not normally accepted at Transfer Stations. However, from Thursday 20 November, residents will be able to book a time to bring items to the Alexandra or Cromwell Transfer Stations free of charge to dispose of the affected material. Council’s contractor will be using a licensed asbestos removal specialist to support the collection of material at the transfer stations.
Immediate advice for consumers:
- Stop using the product immediately
- Do not let children touch or play with the sand
- Do not dispose of the sand in household rubbish bags or vacuum the sand. For clean-up advice, go to the Health NZ website: Asbestos in sand
- Secure the product in a thick plastic bag and twist the top of the bag tightly, fold over and seal with tape
- Clearly label the bag with “Asbestos-Contaminated Material”
How to dispose of contaminated sand
Book an appointment by calling the Waste Team on 03 440 0056 or by emailing waste@codc.govt.nz. To dispose of these products safely, they must be contained in heavy-duty polythene bags, double bagged, and sealed.
Only the recalled sand products will be accepted at the Transfer Stations, any other material containing asbestos remains prohibited.
Retailers who have the sand in stock are encouraged to arrange disposal through a licensed asbestos removal specialist. You can find registered providers on the WorkSafe website.
For further advice call the MBIE Consumer Line on 0508 42667
