The extreme poverty levels being experienced in Zambia are driving some people in urban areas to venture into informal menial jobs such as street vending, stone crushing and street car cleaning. These jobs have provided some respite from poverty for many of the lowly educated who cannot get decent jobs in the formal sector. The jobs have been a source of livelihood for many households, especially in the peri-urban areas of the cities. One such job is waste picking, an activity conducted at the country�s landfills and dumpsites. Literature shows that waste picking has both advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, it contributes enormously to informal sector job creation and therefore gives people a livelihood. It might also be the only available method of waste management in some countries. On the other hand, waste picking exposes those who practice it to many hardships as well as health and occupational risks and hazards. This study investigated waste picking at Chunga Landfill in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. A questionnaire was used to elicit information from 22 waste pickers and five city council officials about the socio-economic benefits and costs of waste picking at the landfill. The study established that, consistent with earlier research findings, waste pickers at Chunga Landfill underwent a lot of hardships and suffered many socio-economic costs. The study recommends sustainable job alternatives which provide people with livelihoods but also give them the dignity that human beings deserve.