SG 151/26
New Zealand introduces mandatory asbestos testing and documentation requirements for toys and other specified consumer products containing sand.
On October 23, 2026, New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment published the Unsafe Goods (Consumer Sand Products) Notice 2026 (the Notice) to prohibit the supply of products containing asbestos in three specified categories of consumer products containing sand.
According to the Notice:
- ‘Accessible sand’ means sand that a consumer may directly touch or handle during ordinary use
- ‘Product variant’ means a version of the product that differs in composition, color, size or another characteristic that may affect the source or nature of the sand constituting or contained in the product
What does the Notice require and when does it apply?
Key provisions are summarized in Table 1.
| Substance | Scope¹ | Requirement | Effective date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asbestos |
|
| February 1, 2027 (ends on April 23, 2028) |
| ¹Exempts a) sand produced by natural geological processes that is intended to fill sand pits, playgrounds, or other recreational areas and b) board games that do not include or contain accessible sand ²Sand contained in at least three separate units must be tested for each product or product variant ³ Testing laboratories must be accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, with the method of analysis in the scope of accreditation ⁴TEM = transmission electron microscopy, SEM = scanning electron microscopy and EDXRA = energy-dispersive x-ray analysis | |||
Table 1. Summary of requirements for specified sand-containing consumer products
Who is impacted?
The Notice affects manufacturers, importers, retailers and other economic operators involved in the supply of the specified products in New Zealand.
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