The window treatment industry is currently undergoing a very large shift in what they can offer. For many years, there has been pressure put on the manufacturers to discontinue the use of operating cords because of the potential safety risks. Recently, that has become a requirement and manufacturers will no longer offer corded operating system.
Here is a little history on how this came about. As early as 2017, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommended eliminating all cord operated treatments. At that time, the window treatment industry offered to partner with the CPSC to make changes that would greatly reduce the instances of injuries for consumers.
In early 2023, the CPSC again recommended that all window treatments with operating cords be discontinued, citing the fact that the window treatment industry had not done enough since 2017 to address the potential dangers. That decision was appealed by the Window Covering Manufacturers Association (WCMA) and that appeal was upheld, meaning manufacturers could continue to sell corded products.
Recently, this decision was reversed. As a result, the WCMA issued a statement saying that operating cords for all window treatments will be discontinued with orders suspended May 1, 2024 and no corded products shipped after June 1, 2024. You can review the information document here. NOTE: The date on the attached document is incorrect. It was actually issued January 27, 2024.
This decision is considered final and will not be appealed. The window treatment manufacturing community is addressing this decision much differently than the one in 2023. At that time, they had a “we’ll see” attitude, understanding that the decision would probably go to appeal. This time, they are complying fully and have announced time lines to take these products out of production and be compliant by the June 1st deadline.
Here is what will no longer be available…
- lift cord systems, popular on the faux wood blinds
- tilt cord systems, popular on the faux wood blinds
- any cordlock lifting system where you pull a string to operate a window treatment
- also any retractable cord lift system used to operate a window treatment
- any cord and wand operating system for vertical blinds and vertical shadings
Here is what is still available….
- wand tilt products
- cordless lift products
- cordless lift and lock products
- many products with a continuous cord loop (similar to roller shades with a metal bead chain), but a new compliant cord tensioner must be added
- motorized products
Corded treatments will not have to be replaced when this new statute becomes official on June 1st. But, any corded treatment that needs repair will have to be replaced with the new compliant operating system. Manufacturers have already suspended the sale and shipment of non-compliant operating parts.
This will obviously change what we can provide to our customers. Luckily, we have a lot of experience with these compliant operating systems. This change will affect the entire industry and certainly bring some challenges. But, because this decision is in the best interest of safety, it’s one that we’ll need to face head on and adapt to.
As always, let us know how we can help and thank you for your support!