Table 4 indicates the highest percentage of waste generation(by weight) in facilities providing residential or food services for patients is from kitchens (hospitals, 50.46% and clinics 45.42%) Unless it becomes mixed with hazardous waste, this waste is mostly non-hazardous. The proportion of waste from kitchens is higher than previously observed (28%) in the HCEs in the northern part of Jordan (Bdour et al., 2007). As the third category of HCE surveyed, pathology/diagnostic centres, treat patients on a day-care, those included in the survey produced less waste per bed, but a higher proportion of hazardous waste. Kitchens made only a very low contribution to total waste and these non-residential facilities produced less non-hazardous waste arising from nonmedical patient care. The average waste generation rate was 0.58 ± 0.09 kg test1 day1 in the surveyed pathology/diagnostic centres. This is higher than Jordan, where the rate of generation was 0.034–0.102 kg test1 day1 (Bdour et al., 2007) but lower than Brazil, where it was found to be 1.28 kg day1 (Silva et al.,2005).