Valéry argues that Europe’s intellectual crisis is caused by the horrors of wartime and the awareness that civilization could die out and also the future could be worse than the past. The horrors of the Nazi invasions and occupations of European countries and atrocities they committed against the populace and disregard for culture and science prompted this thinking.
The motto means that you should reduce the trash that is causing pollution. Also, that you should follow the idea of conservation and conserve any renewable resources by recycling them.
