Washington's Better Brakes Law, which eliminates the utilization of copper in vehicle brake cushions and shoes by 2025. It likewise boycotts the utilization of asbestos and a few substantial metals. As brake cushions wear out, copper and different metals are kept on streets and afterward washed into streams, waterways, lakes, and Puget Sound. Copper is exceptionally poisonous to salmon and other oceanic species.
Is Copper Toxic?
● Copper is highly toxic to fish and other aquatic species.
● Greater than 1.3ppm might cause copper toxicity Primary sources of copper in the environment are household pesticides, water pipes, and vehicle brake pads. In urban areas, brake pads account for up to half of the copper entering our waterways — 66 tons (60,000 kilograms) of copper a year enters Puget Sound from vehicle brake pads
● This Legislature passed a law to reduce the use of toxic material in vehicle brake pads.
● This law restricts the use of several heavy metals and asbestos and provides a schedule to phase out copper.
● Vehicle brake pads manufactured after 2021 must contain less than 5 percent, copper by weight.
● By 2025, brake pads must contain less than 0.5 percent copper.
● Brake manufacturers must certify to Ecology that their brake pads and shoes comply with the law, using tests from accredited laboratories, and show proof of certification on all pads and packaging offered for sale in Washington and California
Legal maximum as of
| State of Washington | Jan 1, 2015 | Jan 1, 2021 | Dec 1, 2023,** |
| Cu | No limit | 5.00 Wt.% | 0.5 Wt.%** |
| Asbestos,Cr(VI),Pb,Hg | 0.10 Wt.% | 0.10 Wt.% | 5.00 Wt.% |
| State of California | Jan 1, 2014 | Jan 1, 2021 | Jan 1, 2025 |
| Cu | No limit | 5.00 Wt.% | 0.5 Wt.%** |
| Asbestos,Cr(VI),Pb,Hg | 0.10 Wt.% | 0.10 Wt.% | 5.00 Wt.% |
**Date maybe later pending Washington’s determination of availability of 0.50 wt.% materials, The December 1, 2023 deadline for 0.50 wt.% copper will be the earliest possible date
At the point when Washington's Better Brakes Law is completely carried out in 2025, this source of copper will be virtually eliminated. Initially, both the states of Washington and California enacted this legislation; later the other states of the USA and the automotive industries signed an agreement to reduce the use of copper and other toxic materials in motor vehicle brake pads. Currently, General Motors and Ford are strictly following the above law in the states of Washington and California.
Reference: Better Brakes Law - Washington State Department of Ecology
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