The one Halloween decoration you should ditch this year

Synthetic spider webs can cause “serious injury or even death” in native Australian wildlife, Birdlife Australia claims.

Huw Bradshaw
October 07, 2025

Willoughby Council is asking locals to ditch one popular decoration this Halloween: fake plastic spiderwebs.

It’s not just because they’re spooky: Birdlife Australia and Humane World for Animals say that synthetic cobwebs can seriously injure or even kill Australian birds, who sometimes incorporate the strands in their nests nests, which is especially problematic because Halloween coincides with the breeding season of many Australian birds.

But even beyond harm caused to wildlife, the vast majority of fake spider webs — along with other Halloween decorations — are constructed from soft plastic materials that end up in landfill.

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According to experts, those who make plastic must change their ways.

As previously reported by the Lorikeet, 14,037 tonnes of red bin rubbish in the Willoughby LGA alone went into landfill in the last year.

Costumes are another culprit. Nina Gbor, who researches plastic and textile waste at the Australia Institute, says that only 1% of Halloween costume materials are recycled.

Her solution? Hit up op shops and get creative with second hand pieces instead of buying new plastic getups.

Image: George Diama via Unsplash