The Warehouse recalls Uniti sand art sets after asbestos found in test

“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.”

The Warehouse and Warehouse Stationery have issued a voluntary public recall for its Uniti sand art products after a test sample returned a positive reading for asbestos.

The company confirmed that MBIE’s testing had not detected airborne asbestos, which is the form that poses the greatest health risk, and said the release of airborne fibres was considered “very unlikely” unless the sand was mechanically crushed and inhaled.

The group has sold 4678 units of the product since it went on sale in January 2025 (octopus and monkey variants) and September 2025 (unicorn and dinosaur variants).

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.

The following products have been identified by The Warehouse Group:

Uniti Sand Art Unicorn – Barcode: 9401113491869 Uniti Sand Art Octopus – Barcode: 9401097407276 Uniti Sand Art Monkey – Barcode: 9401097407269 Uniti Sand Art Dinosaur – Barcode: 9401113420944

The group is asking customers to stop using the product immediately and place it in a heavy-duty plastic bag, secured and out of reach of children.

The sealed product can then be returned to any The Warehouse or Warehouse Stationery store to allow team members to dispose of it correctly, with full refunds offered.

Customers have been asked not to bring unsealed sand inside stores. Store team members and signage will direct customers to the correct bins for safe disposal inside.

Tom Raynel is a multimedia business journalist for the Herald, covering small business, retail and tourism.

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