Commerce Commission to enforce new safety checks on sand products for children

From 1 February 2027, certain consumer sand products, including toys for children under 14, must be tested and shown to be asbestos-free before they can be sold in New Zealand.

The requirements are part of an Unsafe Goods (Consumer Sand Products) Notice, which will be enforced by the Commerce Commission and New Zealand Customs Service.

Commerce Commission’s Principal Compliance Adviser, Grant McIntosh says the new rules are designed to reduce the risk of asbestos exposure from products containing sand.

"Parents and caregivers should be able to feel confident that the products they buy for their children are safe. These new testing requirements will help prevent sand products containing asbestos from reaching New Zealand shelves and homes."

Since November 2025, several play, hobby and decorative products containing sand have been found to contain traces of asbestos. As of October 2026, 23 products have been recalled, affecting around 46,000 items.

Asbestos can’t be identified without testing, making it hard for consumers to know whether a product poses a risk simply by looking at it.

The notice applies to toys and other consumer products containing accessible sand, or sand within a coating that can be penetrated during normal use. It also covers decorative, art and craft products containing accessible sand.

The Commission encourages anyone who has purchased toys, craft products or decorative items containing sand to:

• Check whether the product has been recalled.
• Stop using recalled products immediately.
• Follow the instructions provided in the recall notice.
• Keep up to date with product safety alerts and recalls.

The latest list of recalled sand products is available on the Product Safety New Zealand websiteopen_in_new.

Importers and suppliers will need to hold test reports or other documentation showing that their products meet the testing requirements. They may be required to provide this information to the New Zealand Customs Service or the Commerce Commission on request.

The sand products notice will remain in place for 18 months, while the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment explores longer-term options to address asbestos risks in consumer products.

Background

The Commerce Commission is responsible for enforcing New Zealand's product safety laws, including unsafe goods notices.

Unsafe goods notices are effectively product bans that can be put in place by the Government when products may cause injury to people, including through reasonably foreseeable misuse.

The Unsafe Goods (Consumer Sand Products) Noticeopen_in_new was issued on 23 October 2026.

The notice requires testing of specified consumer sand products before sale to ensure they are asbestos-free.

The requirements come into force on 1 February 2027, allowing importers and suppliers time to arrange testing.

Supplying, offering to supply or advertising a product that does not meet an unsafe goods notice is prohibited under the Fair Trading Act 1986.