Social & Environmental Responsibility

At IDEAL Brake Parts, we are proud to offer aftermarket braking products made to a higher standard than the competition. Many aftermarket brake parts are manufactured in other countries at low cost and with minimal or no social and environmental requirements.

IDEAL is proud to manufacture our brakes in Canada and for use in Canada, at our 110,000 square foot facility in Guelph, Ontario. As a result, our team is able to lower our environmental impact and carbon footprint in the following ways:

Reduced environmental impact from long-distance shipping.
Materials sourced from local suppliers, where available.
Removal of harmful metals from brake pads, such as copper.
Long-lasting products minimize the amount of waste sent to landfills.

Learn how we eliminated asbestos and copper from our brake formulations:

Asbestos-Free Copper-Free

The Importance of Asbestos-Free Brakes

Asbestos was used as a common material in brake pads for decades, long before its dangers were widely known. Asbestos was used as a component in brake pads because it was inexpensive and its heat-resistant properties allowed it to provide the friction required.

When used in brake pads, it is easy for brake dust containing asbestos fibres to be breathed in and lodged in the lung lining. When inhaled into the lungs, asbestos fibres can cause various health conditions, including cancer and asbestosis.

The body cannot remove the fibres and this often leads to cancerous tumours, known as mesothelioma. You can learn more about the danger of asbestos in brake pads here. As public awareness of the health risks associated with asbestos has grown, asbestos has gradually been banned from use in more and more industries.

The 2016 Ban on Asbestos Products in Canada

Asbestos in brake pads is particularly dangerous to mechanics, who are exposed to the brake dust on a regular basis. While most automotive manufacturers will not use asbestos in their brake pads, it is still common for aftermarket brake pads to contain asbestos.

Until recently, brake pads containing asbestos were being imported into Canada at an alarming rate. In 2012, Ontario was a major recipient of asbestos products. In 2014, it was reported asbestos imports into Canada had increased by 22% — with brake pads being the largest culprit.

On December 15th, 2016, the Canadian government announced that it would fulfill its commitment to ban asbestos and asbestos-containing products by the year 2018. While the ban was long overdue, we are thankful it has happened.

The ABS Friction Asbestos Offensive

At IDEAL Brake Pads, we have been advocates for a ban on asbestos for a long time. Our brake pad formulation has never contained any asbestos, and we have worked hard to eliminate other hazardous materials, such as copper.

Since the early 2000s, we have worked with our local politicians Liz Sandals, Frank Valeriote, and Lloyd Longfield to create awareness around the dangers of asbestos. In 2012, we first brought forward a private members’ bill to the federal government to ban asbestos and we have continued to raise awareness on the matter since the ban was passed.

While we applaud the asbestos ban, we urge the Canadian government to not stop here. Taking a page from the states of California and Washington, we would support a ban on other hazardous materials in brake parts, including chromium, mercury, copper, cadmium, lead, and zinc.

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.