Here you’ll find any product recall notices we’ve received from the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). We share these to help our community stay informed and make sure everyone can shop on Folksy with confidence. This page is regularly updated so you can easily check for important safety information.
DATE: 20 JULY 2026
Due to the asbestos contamination now found in a large number of sand-containing toys, the OPSS are taking a stronger position when it comes to products that may be affected. The OPSS has been continually gathering evidence about asbestos contamination, product supply chains, and actions that businesses can take to protect consumers. All businesses, including online marketplaces, must take a broader approach to thoroughly understand and control the risk of asbestos contamination through the product supply chain before placing products on the market to ensure that the products being sold are safe.
This assurance is likely to involve a suitable system of checking, testing and reliable documentation, obtained at key points during the sourcing, production, processing, manufacture, packing and storage of products and their raw materials. Guidance on this process is set out in established supply chain assurance processes, including British Standards Institution’s PAS 7050 Bringing Safe Products to the Market. Find out more about testing for asbestos in sand.
Platforms should not supply sand-containing toys where they cannot provide assurance that products are free from asbestos and are safe.
As a platform, we are now legally obliged to ensure sand-containing products are safe. You will now find that items containing sand as a material will not be able to be listed unless it’s tested for asbestos.
We will give sellers until 21st August to check through their sand-containing products and confirm that they are free of asbestos or suspend them.
DATE: 15 JUNE 2026
Please find below a further update regarding our initial notice about a recent product recall concerning products containing contaminated sand. The list of recalled products has now extended to over 40 products, please see the details below:
“Asbestos in additional consumer products
As you will be aware, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) has been responding to ongoing concerns regarding the presence of asbestos in some consumer products containing sand. Asbestos is a banned substance in many countries including the United Kingdom and is a known human carcinogen. There is no safe level of asbestos in consumer products.
Since 1 January 2026, over forty product recalls have been published in the UK where testing has identified asbestos contamination within the sand component of those products: Asbestos – Product Safety Alerts, Reports and Recalls – GOV.UK. Whilst concerns initially focussed on toys containing sand, this issue has expanded into other products such as craft kits and doorstops also containing sand.
Given these escalating concerns and sustained product recall activity, OPSS has recently declared a national incident, and is coordinating the cross-government response to the issue. Further guidance can be found via the following link: Asbestos in consumer products – GOV.UK.”
Please review your product listings and reach out to us cc-ing opss-onlinemarketplaces@businessandtrade.gov.uk if you think any of your products are affected.
DATE: 9th FEBRUARY 2026
Please find below an update regarding our initial notice about a recent product recall concerning the Hobbycraft Giant Box of Craft.
For your awareness, the initial recall notice – Product Recall: Hobbycraft Giant Box of Craft (2601-0364) – GOV.UK – has been updated to include additional product numbers. These are: 6686021000, 6505261000, 6099201000, 6597221000 and 6606171000. More information regarding this recall can be found on the above notice.
Furthermore, two additional Hobbycraft products have been recalled as the sand included in the product may be contaminated with a small quantity of asbestos, which poses a risk to health:
Hobbycraft Sand and Pom Pom Art Kit: https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alerts-reports-recalls/product-recall-hobbycraft-sand-and-pom-pom-art-kit-2602-0017?cachebust=1770217343
Hobbycraft Easter Bumper Craft Kit: https://www.gov.uk/product-safety-alerts-reports-recalls/product-recall-hobbycraft-easter-bumper-craft-kit-2602-0018?cachebust=1770217333
All products have been withdrawn from the market and recalled from end users by Hobbycraft.
OPSS requests that you check the full product details of any similar listings on your platforms to establish if they are the same as those which are subject to the recall notice and that you take appropriate action. Furthermore, we expect online marketplaces to cooperate with the recall where products have been purchased by consumers on your platform.
If you have any questions, please do let us know at opss-onlinemarketplaces@businessandtrade.gov.uk
DATE: 28th JANUARY 2026
Dear Folksy Team,
I am writing to bring to your urgent attention a recall issued by Hobbycraft on 27th January 2026 relating to the ‘Giant Box of Craft’ product: Product Recall: Hobbycraft Giant Box of Craft (2601-0364). The product has been withdrawn from the market and recalled from end users by Hobbycraft.
The product presents a risk to health as the vials of sand included in the set may be contaminated with asbestos. Asbestos is a banned substance because it poses a serious risk to health, even at low levels of exposure.
Hobbycraft have advised that their supplier is Shanghai Spot on International Limited, who are themselves supplied with the sand by the manufacturer Jinhua Xingchuiqu Toy Products Co., Ltd.
OPSS requests that you check the full product details of any similar listings on your platforms to establish if they are the same as those which are subject to the recall notice and that you take appropriate action.
Businesses involved in the supply of goods to consumers, have a statutory responsibility for the safety of the goods they supply. Producers and distributors are legally required to notify a regulator when they become aware that they have placed on the market, or distributed, a product that is not a safe product: Business notifications of unsafe and noncompliant products – GOV.UK
If you have any questions please do let me know, copying in opss-onlinemarketplaces@businessandtrade.gov.uk