LeafMark™ Copper-Free Compliance

All IDEAL disc brake pads are copper-free and compliant with 2025 LeafMark™ requirements and beyond. Each box of IDEAL Brake Parts proudly displays a LeafMark™ Level N symbol, showing that we have removed copper and other toxic elements from our brake pads.

What is LeafMark™?

The LeafMark™ symbol is a trademark of The Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA). For more information on friction material registration regulations, Leafmarks and their use, please visit the NSF website here.

In order to help consumers understand their level of compliance, brake pad manufacturers are required to use one of three different LeafMarks on their products to denote the contents of their brake pads.

LeafMarks represent the following levels:

  • Level A: All IDEAL formulations meet this requirement. Adopted in California on January 1, 2014 and Washington on January 1, 2015. Friction materials must be below 0.01% Cadmium, 0.1% Hexavalent Chromium, Lead, Mercury, and Asbestos fibres.
  • Level B: All IDEAL metallics do not contain copper, while ceramic is less than 5% copper. Manufacturers in California and Washington must be compliant by January 1, 2021. Friction materials containing more than 5% by weight Copper are prohibited.
  • Level N: All IDEAL metallics and copper-free ceramics meet these requirements. Manufacturers in California must be compliant by January 1, 2025. Manufacturers in Washington must be compliant by January 1, 2023. Friction materials containing more than 0.5% by weight Copper are prohibited.

Why Was LeafMark™ Created?

In 2010, the states of California and Washington led the charge in removing copper and other toxic elements from brake pads. As brake pads wear down, copper and other metal deposits are left on our roadways.

These deposits will be washed into streams, rivers, and eventually lakes and oceans. This buildup of copper and other metals has a profoundly negative impact on the environment.

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