It's well known that printers are routinely sold at a loss, with the real revenues made from selling replacement ink cartridges.

I don't think that's a sustainable business anymore.

We've been using laser for 16 years now, because ink is expensive, and it doesn't even help much to use it only sparingly, because then the cartridges dry out.
We bought a color laser 10 years ago, and it's still going strong on only the 2nd set of cartridges (original + 1 set purchased). We have very little use for prints now, as all mail is electronic here now, and yes I mean all, even papers that needs to be signed are done electronically now.
So we print maybe 2 sheets average per month, last prints was my wife printing music scores to practice. The ones before that I can't even remember.

People in school basically all levels are turning papers in electronically too. I don't see where a lot of printing is still needed?