A person collects plastic pellets on the ground close to an industrial zone with petrochemical factories in Ecaussinnes, on February 22, 2024. They are buried in the ground and in ditches, dotting riverbanks and watercourses: a Belgian municipality is fighting against the "insidious" pollution caused by the plastic microbeads produced on its territory, at a time when the EU wants to tighten up its rules. (Photo by Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)