Recent headlines have once again brought asbestos into sharp focus. But this time, the focus is not on derelict buildings or even the presence of asbestos in schools, rather more frighteningly, it is in the everyday toys and items purchased online and on the high street for our children and for our homes.
At the start of 2026, The Guardian newspaper reported that Hobbycraft was forced to withdraw and subsequently recall its popular “Giant Box of Craft” after independent testing identified asbestos fibres in the coloured play sand contained within the kit. The contamination was discovered by a parent, with the yellow, green and pink sand bottles testing positive for traces of tremolite asbestos, a known carcinogen.
More worryingly, this was not an isolated incident. Since that discovery in January, multiple additional children’s products, including craft kits and sand-based toys, have been recalled by a number of household retailers across the UK such as Primark, Tesco and M&S. Regulators identified a wider issue linked to contaminated sand materials imported from mines in China, where asbestos occurs naturally and there are less thorough rules in place when it comes to labelling processes. In April, the Guardian published a further story in which it revealed that over thirty different products, including dog toys and soft, stretchy or squishy children’s toys, were contaminated. More recently, in May 2026, Dunelm issued a nationwide recall affecting dozens of household items, including novelty doorstops, after it emerged that the sand used as internal filling may also be contaminated with asbestos. One of the more surprising recalls was for a series of radio-controlled toy cars sold by the brand TRAXXAS, in which the brake pads, much like the brake pads used in vehicles in the 60s and 70s, contained chrysotile asbestos.
Following the news, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) published guidance on asbestos in consumer products. The guidance, available on the gov.uk website, includes a list of all product recalls and guidance as to how to safely dispose of the products should consumers not wish to return them to the store. The guidance also makes clear that there is no safe level of asbestos in consumer products and any presence in consumer products is unacceptable.
Yet despite the guidance and recall notices published by the retailers in question, a Which? Investigation found that Hobbycraft staff were giving conflicting advice about how to dispose of the contaminated products, with one consumer being told to place it in a single black bag when the guidance makes clear that contaminated products need to be double bagged whilst wearing protective equipment. Another consumer reported a staff member opening the bag at the help desk to inspect the product before agreeing to return it, which was then immediately flagged to management.
From a health and safety perspective, this is worrying. Asbestos becomes dangerous when fibres are disturbed and become airborne – something that can easily occur when handling sand-based materials. These recalls are more than isolated product failures — they are a stark warning.
They demonstrate that asbestos exposure is not confined to the past, and that the risks continue to evolve in ways many do not expect. For HASAG and its supporters, this is exactly why continued campaigning, education and vigilance remain so critical.
