Banana Box Artivism

Banana Boxes to the Rescue

At Kaibosh, we’re used to thinking outside the (banana) box. As demand for food support rises and traditional funding sources remain uncertain, we need more than just good systems —we need creative energy, strong partnerships and more people chipping in to help our food rescue mission.

That’s why we’re thrilled to be working with Urban Dream Brokerage (UDB) and The Wellington Company this May to bring our mahi into the public eye in a new way with a pop-up at 126 Lambton Quary during our Annual Appeal.

In a busy world where so many good causes are calling out for attention, we’re trying something a bit different to help people understand the scale—and the pressures—of food rescue.

Our team at Kaibosh doesn’t just wait for food to come to us. We’re piloting solutions like Second Harvest, building relationships with growers, and running our own food rescue kitchens that transform even more rescued food into hearty kai for those in need. Every step is designed to meet growing demand with dignity, care, and community at the centre.

But innovation isn’t enough on its own. To keep doing this work at the scale our communities need, we also need continued government support.

Food rescue saves food, feeds people, and reduces emissions—it’s a smart investment in people and planet.

Why banana boxes?

Each empty banana box symbolises 15kg of perfectly good food which Kaibosh rescues before it’s wasted. We do this 7 days a week, with help from hundreds of volunteers who carefully check and pack each banana box for over 150 local charities and community groups.

“Every month, over 4000 banana boxes of food are distributed to community for people who are struggling to put kai on their table.” – Susie Robertson, Kaiarahi/ CE.

Not just a cardboard box

But these banana boxes are more than just containers. They represent more than just a delivery mechanism.

They represent resourcefulness, care, community, reciprocity, manaakitanga, connection to Papatūānuku and so much more.

Get involved

So, come visit our pop-up in the city. Learn about food rescue and how you can help.

You can get hands on to create something with a few boxes (or a hundred!) or write or draw a message for community. You can also make a donation to help stop food waste and feed families.

Get inspired, get involved, and keep the conversation going.

126 Lambton Quay 

28 April – 16 May, 12noon – 2pm on weekdays

Learn more

At Kaibosh, we believe in a future with zero food poverty, zero food waste.

We’ve been working towards this vision since 2008 when we started in Pōneke as Aotearoa’s first ever dedicated food rescue charity. Since then, we haven’t stopped tackling food waste and rescuing good kai for people who need it in our local communities.

With the support of 240 volunteers across three branches, we rescued 760,337 kg of food last year, providing over 2.1 million meals worth of quality kai to the Greater Wellington Region.