Preparing for a wildlife-friendly Halloween

Published on 07 October 2026

With Halloween on Saturday 31 October, many of us are already decorating our homes. While these decorations help add a touch of spooky fun to our streets, some of the most popular items, such as fake spiderwebs, can hurt our local the birds. 

How do decorations hurt wildlife?

Fake spiderwebs are made from fine synthetic thread. BirdLife Australia says birds can get caught in them and be badly injured. That includes small birds common in our area, like silvereyes and honeyeaters.

Birds also use bits of fake web and plastic to build their nests where they can tangle around a bird's legs.

Why choose reusable decorations?

Many decorations are used once and thrown away. Some are made from mixed materials we can't recycle, so they go to landfill. There, they take hundreds of years to break down and shed tiny bits of plastic into our soil and water.

What can we do instead?

We can still have a fun Halloween with less waste and safer decorations.

So, before you buy anything new:

• Check what you have from last year.
• Borrow from friends or neighbours.
• Look for costumes and decorations at your local op shop.

Or make your own:

• Weave a spiderweb from natural twine or wool. Leave big gaps so birds can't get caught.
• Make signs from paper, paint, leaves and twigs.
• Cut out paper bats to hang in trees.
• Turn an old sheet or towel into a ghost.
• Fill a plastic milk bottle with water, draw on a scary face and add a light.

Cleaning up afterwards 

Fake webs left outside can keep harming wildlife long after Halloween is over.

• Take down fake webs as soon as you can and put them in your rubbish bin.
• Pack away decorations you can use againnext year.
• Take candles out of carved pumpkins, then put the pumpkins in your FOGO bin or compost.
• Put lolly wrappers in your rubbish bin. They're soft plastic, so keep them out of your recycling bin.