The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery recall Uniti sand art products

The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery are recalling their Uniti sand art products as a precaution.

Silv Roest, Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer at The Warehouse Group says customer safety, especially the safety of children, is the retailer’s priority.

“As soon as concerns about asbestos in sand products emerged in New Zealand last year, we took action. We arranged independent testing of all our sand products with a fully accredited laboratory and the results showed that no asbestos was detected.

“We were recently approached by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) with a positive test result for traces of asbestos from the same batch of a Uniti sand art set. While MBIE’s test result differs, all that matters is the safety of the families who shop with us and our team members. That’s why we’re recalling these products and treating them as containing asbestos as a precaution.

“We’re very sorry for any worry and inconvenience this will cause, and we’ll do everything we can to help our customers through this recall.”

MBIE testing has not detected airborne asbestos, which is the form that poses the greatest health risk. The release of airborne fibres is considered very unlikely unless the sand is mechanically crushed and inhaled.

The sand art sets are designed for individual use, and not for classroom or group settings. Because of this, The Warehouse Group believes it is unlikely the product has been used in schools or early childhood centres, which should help minimise wider disruption for families.

4,678 units have been sold since the product went on sale in January 2025 (Octopus and Monkey) and September 2025 (Unicorn and Dinosaur). Information will be available in stores and online, and store teams are ready to help customers.

What customers need to do

Customers who have purchased any Uniti sand art products are asked to carefully follow MBIE’s guidance:

• Stop using the product 
• Place the product in a heavy-duty plastic bag, tape it securely, and keep it out of reach of children
• Do not dispose of the product in general household waste
• Return the product sealed to any The Warehouse or Warehouse Stationery store
• Follow the instructions on the signage and from team members so it can be disposed of correctly, and you will receive a full refund
• Follow specialist guidance on safe containment and disposal
  • Households and individuals: Health NZ
  • Schools and early childhood centres: Ministry of Education
  • Other workplaces: WorkSafe

For everyone’s safety, customers are asked not to bring unsealed sand inside the store. Store team members and signage will direct customers to the correct bin for safe disposal inside the store.

ENDS

Uniti sand range and barcode information

Uniti Sand Art Unicorn - Barcode: 9401113491869

Uniti Sand Art Octopus - Barcode: 9401097407276

Uniti Sand Art Monkey - Barcode: 9401097407269

Uniti Sand Art Dinosaur - Barcode: 9401113420944

Website link: Product Recall Uniti Sand & Art Products