The prosecution: Roberta
Gran’s house is littered with bags of stuff. She should put things away and ditch the carriers
My gran, Martha, is a bit of a hoarder. It’s nothing too serious: she just loves holding on to certain things. She has kept newspaper front pages about the royals from 50 years ago, and also likes keeping stamps and coins that commemorate big events, like the millennium.
But one thing I cannot abide is her obsession with bags. She absolutely loves those bags for life you get from the supermarket. She buys a lot of things in bulk – cat food, washing-up liquid, cleaning products – and instead of unpacking it properly, she keeps everything in bags all over the floor of her house.
Granted, she has a small place and there isn’t a lot of storage space, but when you walk in, there are bags filled with stuff everywhere. The kitchen is covered in bags of tinned tuna and custard. My gran loves to paint and keeps boxes of art supplies in big Sainsbury’s bags on the floor of her living room.
She’s also got hundreds of spare bags for life in her car and stuffed into cabinets. I visit every week, so sometimes I’ll suggest throwing some out and unpacking some of her things. But she always says: “I’ll hold on to those, thank you very much. A bag is for life, not just for Christmas.” I tell her that she has enough bags to last a lifetime, but she takes no notice.
Gran always lectures me about recycling and buying in bulk. I’m 26, and she says my generation is very wasteful and that I should reuse bags. I agree in principle of course, but remind Gran that it was her generation and the one after it, my parents, who messed up the planet for us.
I say: “Gran, we’re doomed because of you lot. No amount of recycling carrier bags can help us now.” She just rolls her eyes. I’d love to declutter her flat but she won’t let me. I reckon she should chuck out the bags and get some proper storage so she can put all her things away.
I’m all for reusing carrier bags, but it’s not that eco-friendly if you have a million of them.
The defence: Martha
Keeping bags is good for the environment. And I like to have things where I can see them – on the floor
Roberta loves to dish out advice but she’s slower in taking it. She visits me once a week, and it’s always nice to see her, but she does nag me.
I like the way I live and I’ve got used to it. My husband, Edward, died 12 years ago and I’ve learned how to live by myself. When he was around, things might have been tidier as he was a little more uptight, but my home certainly isn’t messy. I’m very houseproud, I just like things where I can see them. If I packed everything away like Roberta suggests, I’d never find anything, so what’s the point?
I’m 78 and I do what’s easiest at this age. I like to keep things within easy reach, in bags on the floor. I also buy food and cleaning products in bulk, so I don’t actually have the space to put them all away. When the cupboards are full, I put the bags on the floor or on the countertops. I like to use all the products in the bags first, and then, when they are gone, I revert to what’s in my cupboards.
Roberta will come around and say, “Gran, it’s a mess in here.” But I know exactly where everything is and that’s the way I like it. Her generation is incredibly wasteful. I’ve been to the place she shares with her friends and seen how they get a new bag every time they go to the newsagent. They also order food online and throw away the plastic containers afterwards. I wouldn’t dream of doing that.
I haven’t bought a new carrier bag in a while – the collection has built up over the years and now I’m careful not to add to it. It is better for the environment to reuse them instead of getting a new one each time you shop. I don’t know how many I have in my home – it is probably coming up to a thousand. I keep the spare ones in the kitchen under the sink, and there are some in my car boot, too.
My favourite brand is the Sainsbury’s bag for life. I love that shade of orange, and they are also more durable than the Tesco and M&S ones. Roberta can moan at me all she likes but I shan’t be throwing any bags away. I’m content living this way and that’s it.
The jury of Guardian readers
Should Martha slim down her enormous bag collection?
Martha should take Roberta’s advice and store her supplies away. Upcycled furniture or boxes would make better storage units than endless plastic bags. Martha could give them to someone else – maybe Roberta!
Maddie, 29
Martha lives on her own and takes care of herself, so she’s right: it’s up to her how she chooses to (dis)organise her house. But a thousand bags? That’s about a bag for life a week, every week.
Adrian, 63
A thousand bags for life is beyond excessive, and storing products in bags on the floor sounds less like a system and more like a bad trip waiting to happen. I applaud her concern for the environment but Roberta is right – having this many bags in the house has gone way beyond the point of being eco-friendly.
Elaine, 43
Two or three carrier bags folded in my handbag are quite enough for my shopping and – importantly – they are not a potential tripping hazard. A fall at that age would be a lot more inconvenient than having to unpack your bags.
Laura, 22
In my own home I would find that very stressful, but if Martha likes living like that I don’t see there’s a problem. Even Roberta doesn’t seem concerned that the bags are a hazard or that the hoarding is anything to worry about, so she should forget about them and try to enjoy her weekly visit.
Rachel, 40
Now you can be the judge
In our online poll below, tell us: should Martha tidy up her litter of bags?
The poll closes on Thursday 8 December at 10am GMT
Last week’s result
We asked if Doreen should stop using Amber’s posh candles and bath salts.
83% of you said yes – Doreen is guilty
17% of you said no – Doreen is not guilty
