Amen to that. Printers are the source of problem calls to my IT department far out of proportion to their numbers. (Having many moving parts can do that).
True story:
I work for (unnamed government agency). Our paper use has followed a similar pattern. In particular, general announcements, memos on policy, etc. are sent out as mass emails.
Now, imagine my surprise a few months ago when I went to the (physical) mailbox and noticed a photcopied memo in there. I noticed this memo had been placed in every one of the hundreds of mailboxes in the mailroom; I learned later that it had also been placed throughout similar mailbox stacks in similar mailrooms in many buildings in our complex. Thousands and thousands of them.
It was a memo on the Paperwork Reduction Act.
Working in infrastructure development, I noticed that the paper consumption has even increased over the last years when it comes to large construction and/or financing contracts.
Standard example:
There is contract version 22.2 of 3.17pm, having - say - 189 pages, printed out in fifteen copies for the fifteen people negotiating the contract (2.835 sheets). At 5.38pm, seven changes are made all over the contract as a result of the negotiations. This version 22.3 now needs to be made available to all negotiators. Another 2.835 sheets, just two mouse clicks away.
I have to admit that in particular for quick cross-referencing during a negotiation and for making quick notes in the margins, you can’t beat a printout; and, who wants to work on an outdated version? So I don’t believe that paper consumption at least in this business will go down noticeably.
Just my 5c.
PitJ
The paper industry was struggling 30+ years ago, that was before computers came along. Before that a letter would generally take 3 to 4 sheets of paper. First the rough draft was typed out and sent back for review and edits, a second draft was typed for final edits and approval, a final copy on letter head was type and a carbon copy made on onion skin paper if needed. Four sheets of paper, then computers, word processors, and printers came along, after that it wasn’t that uncommon for 14 or 15 drafts of one document to be printed out. Since it didn’t take long to make the changes, compared to typing the whole letter out, they could edit the document so the wording was “just” right, or the shading of the words or phrases was “just” right. So we went from 4 pages to 16+ pages for one document. And paper usage shot way up.
What’s cut back on paper usage we’re seeing today is due to more business being done with e-mail. Not that long ago you would never e-mail an importation document, it was un-business like. But the old school guys are retiring and the people who are taking their place have no problem doing business via e-mail, it’s faster easier, so unless it something, say a contract that needs a signature, it may never get printed out, and when it is printed, odds are none or very few drafts were printed out.