Waste Helps The Enemy

This is a World War II propaganda poster created by the United States War Production Board between 1942 and 1943. The War Production Board was created shortly after the Pearl Harbor attack with the purpose of converting factories into weapons plants and conserving manufacturing materials. The board also distributed propaganda posters to encourage United States citizens to help the war effort by reducing personal waste.

This particular poster simply reads “Waste helps the enemy” and "Conserve material.” A mix of household objects come together to resemble an angry Hitler. The objects featured are notably ones that the average person would have used in their daily life at the time, including nails, a paperclip, a piece of paper, a pencil, a fountain pen tip, what looks to be rubber bands, and other metal materials on a dark red background. 

Overall, this work represents the severity of the war, both morally and in terms of national identity. Other posters created by the War Production Board in this series use similar bold and accusatory language as well as vivid anti-Hitler and anti-Germany imagery. The posters preyed on Americans’ patriotism and sense of duty while evoking a sense of fear, shame, and urgency.

On a broader scale, the timing of the creation of these posters speaks to The United State’s global position. Previously choosing to isolate, it was not until Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor that the U.S. entered the war. That is, until the war came too close to home and directly threatened the nation. Propaganda posters like this one clearly represent the blatant nationalistic themes of World War II.