The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is advising the recall of some coloured sand products. The products may cause a risk to health as asbestos has been detected in some samples after laboratory testing.

Collection site at Southbrook Resource Recovery Park

From Thursday 20 November, recalled coloured sand products will be accepted at the Southbrook Resource Recovery Park.

Staff will be setting up a collection site at the recycling and reuse area for residents to drop off small amounts of the asbestos-contaminated material from households (up to 20 litres).

While asbestos is a serious health hazard, the risk from these products is considered low if handled correctly and disposed of safely. People should carefully follow MBIE’s advice when dealing with the contaminated sand.

Please follow these steps before dropping off the items:

• Handle with care: Use PPE such as masks and gloves to protect yourself when you clean up the sand. Do not use a vacuum to clean up the sand.
• Double-bag the sand: Place the sand in a sealed container, then double-bag in thick plastic (put your PPE in the second bag), seal with tape or a goose-neck tie.
• Label the sand: Clearly label as Asbestos Contaminated Material.
• Drop off: Bring the bagged container to the recycling and reuse area of the Southbrook Resource Recovery Park.
• Alert staff: Let staff know that you have a contaminated sand product, they will provide you with instructions for drop-off.

The Southbrook Resource Recovery Park is open from 8.30am – 4.30pm daily.

Please DO NOT put the recalled product into the rubbish pit or out into your household rubbish for collection.

We won’t accept other asbestos contaminated material

Only the recalled sand products will be accepted at the Southbrook Resource Recovery Park, any other material containing asbestos remains prohibited.

We will not be accepting these recalled products at Oxford transfer station.

Advice for workplaces

Workplaces that have been using this product should contact a licensed asbestos assessor or removalist for immediate advice and support on your specific situation.

What to do with unopened products

For any unopened products, the Waimakariri District Council advises you to return it to the retailer where it was purchased.

Affected products:

• EC Rainbow Sand (1.3kg) – previously recalled
• Creatistics Coloured Sand (1kg) – previously recalled
• 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)

Stop using the products immediately:

• Do not let children touch or play with the sand.
• Place the sand in a sealed container, then double-bag in thick plastic, seal with tape, and clearly label as “Asbestos-Contaminated Material.”
• Do not dispose of in household rubbish or vacuum it up.
• Refer to the clean-up and disposal instructions on the Health NZ website.

More information about managing the disposal of this product is on the MBIE website.