WIRED MAY 2015

Brake Clinic e Clinic

Copper Free Brake Pads I n 2010, California and Washington (USA) passed a legislation that will require brake pads sold or installed in both states to have reduced levels of copper and other heavy metals.

The environmental code on the label is a combination of the “year of production” and a letter (“A”, “B” or “N”) which indicates the

compliance level:

The legislation was decreed due to claims by environmental groups and regulators. As brake pads wear down, copper and other metals are deposited on roadways and are washed into streams and rivers. Copper is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic species. This legislation may be coming to the UK very soon. We can confirm that all Eicher brake pads are 100% copper free, we believe that Eicher

A - More than 5.00 % B - 0.50 % - 5.00 % N - Less than 0.50 %

will be one of the first compliant brands. Pagid pads are soon to follow with TMD having already implemented changes to the label. Pagid Pads are already 90% copper free. However, historically older OE materials approved by vehicle manufacturers still contain copper.

To indicate the compliance level on the packaging, the following images will be used: