MISHAWAKA — Walking a few extra blocks to mail your letters might become part of your routine if you live in Mishawaka. The postmaster said 12 collection boxes were removed because of low volume.

Mail carrier Debbie St. Clair is on the move.

During her routes, she's a friendly and familiar face. Before her walks up and down stairs to mailbox after mailbox, Debbie has noticed her load Is much lighter.

"I've been with the Post Office about a year and a half now and I've noticed about a 50 percent decrease in the amount of mail I'm carrying," said St. Clair.

It's not a local problem.

The U.S. Postal Service has noticed a significant drop in volume — nearly 5 percent.

Officials say the USPS is on track to deliver 180 billion pieces of mail this year. That's down significantly from 212 billion pieces delivered just two years ago.

So where's the mail going?

"It's a combination of different things," said St. Clair.

Postal employees say bulk mailers are down and more people are using the web.

"I think people are opting to use the Internet to pay their bills," St. Clair said. "I've seen companies solicit to me to receive my bills online so they don't have to mail it to me anymore."

The decline in volume is more evident. Bolts in the ground outside the Autumn Lakes apartments show the blue collection box's former location.

"Volume was really, really down in those," said St. Clair.

Twelve boxes throughout Mishawaka, including a site near Capital Avenue and 12th, were removed about 45 to 60 days ago.

"It's a tool that the Post Office provides to make it easier for our customers to do business with us, " St. Clair said.

With declining use — St. Clair found about a dozen pieces of mail in the boxes — a lighter load is a burden off Debbie's back and shoulders.

"That's the plus side," said St. Clair.

But with fewer people using the service, she wishes that wasn't the case.

Mishawaka's postmaster said there are no plans to remove any additional boxes.

Throughout the country, more than 4,000 boxes were removed.