They're Making Less: Near-1 million-ton Drop in Office Paper Capacity in 2024

Reinventing the U.S. Printing-Writing Paper Market

​​Walk into any corporate print room today and you’ll find paper sitting untouched. The copiers hum, but not for printing. They scan, they fax, they feed documents into cloud platforms.

Paper shipments are slipping by 5 to 7 percent each year. Meanwhile, packaging grades grow at 5 percent and digital billing cuts back-office print by nearly 30 percent . Dealers used to compete on toner prices. Now they compete on software integrations, AI analytics and sustainability guarantees.

This shift isn’t theory. It’s happening now. The ten steps in our report aren’t recommendations, they are the playbook for surviving and thriving when paper use becomes a relic.

Key Findings

In 2024, U.S. printing-writing capacity shrank by 6.9 percent, dropping from just under 10 million tons in 2023 to below 9 million tons for the first time (afandpa.org, ifpta.org). That represents roughly 700,000 to 900,000 tons of capacity taken offline in a single year. Since the pre-pandemic peak in 2019 (around 10.5 million tons), the industry has eliminated over 1.5 million tons of printing-writing capacity (afandpa.org). This rapid contraction underscores a fundamental fall in office paper use and a broader shift in how organizations handle documents.

Capacity Shift Details

Printing-Writing Capacity Decline

• Printing-writing capacity fell 6.9 percent in 2024, its steepest one-year drop since 2021 (afandpa.org).
• The total moved below 9 million tons, down from approximately 9.6 million in 2023 (ifpta.org).

Wider Paperboard Context

• Overall U.S. paper and paperboard capacity declined 2 percent in 2024 to 78.1 million tons (recyclingtoday.com).
• Printing-writing now accounts for just 12 percent of total capacity, unchanged from 2023, while packaging and tissue make up the remaining 88 percent (afandpa.org).

Cumulative Cuts Since 2019

• From roughly 10.5 million tons in 2019 to under 9 million tons in 2024, more than 1.5 million tons of capacity have been shifted away from office grades (afandpa.org).

Implications for Paper UsageDigital Displacement

• Electronic billing, e-signatures, and cloud collaboration are cutting paper use by up to 30 percent in many enterprises (pulpapernews.com).
• Monthly shipments of printing-writing papers fell 5 to 9 percent in early 2025, reflecting ongoing reductions in routine print tasks (pulpapernews.com).

Packaging Surge

• As office grades decline, packaging paper demand grows at about 3.5 to 5 percent annually, now representing over half of mill output (afandpa.org).

Impact on Printers and CopiersUnder-utilized Devices

• Multifunction printers and copiers sit idle up to 40 percent longer each day as paper workloads drop (mydoceo.com).
• Organizations repurpose MFPs for scanning, fax-to-email, and digital archiving rather than bulk printing (mydoceo.com).

Shift to Service Models

• Copier dealers have pivoted from device-and-toner sales to managed print services valued at nearly $49 billion, bundling hardware, supplies, software, and analytics (resourcewise.com, einpresswire.com).
• IoT-enabled copiers now provide real-time usage data, predictive maintenance alerts, and automated supply replenishment (mydoceo.com).

Sustainability and ESG Drivers

• Dealers stock more recycled and FSC-certified papers and promote energy-efficient devices to meet corporate ESG targets (tomorrowsoffice.com).
• Carbon capture partnerships and long-term pulp contracts help mills and channel partners hedge costs and reduce environmental impact (wsj.com).

Conclusion

​The near-1 million-ton drop in office paper capacity in 2024 signals a structural decline in paper usage driven by digital workflows. For the copier and printer market, this means devices must reinvent themselves as intelligent, service-oriented platforms. Dealers and OEMs that embrace managed services, IoT analytics, and sustainable offerings will be best positioned in an era where printing is no longer the primary business case.

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