Asbestos found in sand kits sold on Amazon, Asda, eBay and TikTok Shop, Which? reveals
The consumer champion’s findings are the latest in a worrying series of products recalled from UK shelves due to asbestos contamination. The products have ranged from craft kits to toys and even doorsteps filled with sand.
The toy marketed as a Montessori sand art tray, which was being sold on Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop, is designed for hands-on learning to support fine motor skills by encouraging children to draw in the sand using the pencils provided or their fingers. However, Which? testing revealed that the sand in the kit contained tremolite asbestos — a banned substance.
Tremolite asbestos is a harmful naturally occurring mineral that can become airborne and cause severe lung diseases if inhaled, even at low levels of exposure. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified all forms of asbestos as carcinogenic to humans. Products containing asbestos in any quantity, including trace amounts, are prohibited for sale in the UK.
A sand art tray tested by Which? was bought from TikTok Shop and was also found for sale from three individual sellers on Amazon Marketplace.
The set remained on sale on both platforms until May, despite the same product being subject to a recall by the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) in March due to asbestos contamination. After Which? raised this, the OPSS has now updated the original recall notice to include Amazon and TikTok Shop.
Which? researchers also found tremolite asbestos in the GL Style Sand Bottle Art Heart or Stars set purchased from Asda. Which? found what appeared to be the same kit for sale on eBay from three private sellers. The brand name on the kit is RMS International Limited.
Since November 2025, more than 39 recall notices have been issued by the OPSS relating to asbestos-contaminated sand products. The issue has also led to the closure of schools and parks, most recently in north-east England. It is believed the affected toys contain sand sourced from specific quarries in China, where naturally occurring asbestos is present.
Which? said that toys contaminated with asbestos are only the latest example of dangerous products being sold through online marketplaces and warned that platforms continue to evade meaningful legal responsibility for products listed by third-party sellers.
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act, adopted in July, gives the Secretary of State powers to impose product safety requirements on online marketplaces through secondary legislation. The government is currently consulting on proposals to introduce duties on online marketplaces to prevent, identify and remove unsafe products sold through their platforms.
Which? said the consultation presents a crucial opportunity to close longstanding gaps in product safety law, but warned that further delays could leave consumers exposed to dangerous products.
The consumer champion is calling on the government to urgently introduce robust secondary legislation requiring online marketplaces to take clear legal responsibility for ensuring unsafe and illegal products are not sold through their sites.
Sue Davies, Head of Consumer Rights Policy at Which?, said:
“It is outrageous that online marketplaces are selling products which may expose children to asbestos, especially when some of these products had already been recalled by the OPSS.
“Seemingly innocent items like toys and craft kits can have serious health consequences if there are not proper checks to make sure they comply with safety laws.
“The government has published proposals that would require online marketplaces to exercise due care in preventing, identifying and removing dangerous products sold through their platforms, an area where regulation is currently far too limited.
“Ministers now urgently need to introduce legislation that makes these duties sufficiently robust and properly enforceable. The longer the government delays taking action, the greater the risk that more dangerous products will reach consumers.”
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors
Two out of the nine products tested by Which? contained tremolite asbestos.
Tremolite asbestos poses significant health risks - such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. Tremolite asbestos fibres, which were found in both of these products, are rod or needle like in appearance, as seen below.
According to information published by the UK Health Security Agency, the level of risk depends on the amount of asbestos fibres to which you are exposed, the duration of exposure and the way you are exposed (e.g. inhaling or ingesting the fibres). The amount of asbestos found in play sand is likely to be low and children tend not to be exposed over long periods of time.
For more details on other recalled sand kits containing asbestos, visit the Which? recalls page.
Our video discussing the investigation is linked here
Pictured: tremolite asbestos fibres.
Pictured: sand art tray sold on Alibaba, Amazon Marketplace and TikTok Shop.
Pictured: GL Style Sand Bottle Art Heart or Stars set, bought from supermarket Asda
Methodology:
Which? tested nine sand kits at an independent lab using SEM/EDX analysis for asbestos detection. They were tested to the ISO 22262-1:2012 standard.
This is the recommended technique for detecting asbestos in consumer products containing sand, according to OPSS guidance. It can more reliably identify low asbestos concentrations, below 0.1%, and fine or thin asbestos fibres likely to be present in contaminated products.
Right of replies:
A spokesperson for Amazon said: “Customer safety is our top priority and we are taking this issue very seriously. We are in the process of removing all products in this category across our store while we investigate further, and as a result the highlighted items have been removed.”
A spokesperson for Asda told Which? that as soon as they were made aware that the product had failed testing, they contacted the supplier and began the process of issuing a full product recall. They said that customer safety is a top priority, and that customers who have purchased this product should stop using it immediately and return it to their nearest store for a full refund. A receipt is not required. The Which? shopping team received a recall notice from Asda.
A spokesperson for eBay said: ‘Consumer safety is a top priority for eBay. We swiftly removed the items identified by Which? and are conducting further sweeps to identify similar listings. We work diligently to prevent and remove unsafe product listings through seller compliance audits, block filter algorithms, AI-supported monitoring by in-house specialists, and close partnerships with regulators. These measures helped to prevent 21 million potentially unsafe listings from appearing on eBay in 2025.”
According to TikTok, the product identified during the investigation had already been removed from TikTok Shop. The company said it has policies and procedures in place to protect consumers and maintain a trustworthy shopping experience, including seller verification requirements, restrictions on prohibited products, and tools such as reviews, reporting systems, and simplified returns. TikTok also stated that its Product Safety & Recall Policy addresses concerns raised by users and regulatory authorities in the UK and internationally, and that it works closely with organisations including the Office for Product Safety and Standards and the Trading Standards Institute.
TikTok added that, according to its latest TikTok Shop Safety Report, more than 70 million products were rejected before listing between January and June 2025. During the same period, the company said it removed over 700,000 sellers, mainly due to policy violations, and more than 200,000 restricted or prohibited products after listing. TikTok claims that over 99.5% of violating products are removed proactively before appearing on the platform.
Which? reached out to RMS International Limited but they did not provide a comment.
About Which?
Which? is the UK’s consumer champion, empowering people to make confident choices and demand better. Through our research, investigations and product testing, we provide trusted insight and expert recommendations on the issues that matter most to consumers.
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