Sintered friction materials are used in particular for high performance applications due to their excellent temperature stability. Increasingly, new regulations regarding sustainability and environmental compatibility require innovative materials. In the USA, only brake pads with less than 0.5 percent may be sold by 2025 due to toxic abrasion. In addition, the new Euro 7 standard also imposes stricter limitations on non-exhaust particulate emissions. In this paper, material solutions for iron-based sintered linings for motorcycle brakes and synchronizer rings are discussed as an example of how to replace copper-based systems without losses in performance. Furthermore, the development of an aluminum composite brake disc is presented. These new brake discs use a particle-reinforced aluminum friction ring, which ensures an almost complete avoidance of the abrasion and, therefore, particle emission. Besides, the aluminum-based brake discs allow for lighter and more sustainable cars, e.g. by a 50 % reduction of the brake system's weight.