A waste container comprising: a base having a bottom wall, a side wall and a top defining a receptacle for receiving sharps, the side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the top connected to an upper portion of the side wall and having an opening therethrough; a lid having a closure part and a cap part having an aperture therethrough, the lid being connectable to the top via the cap part, the lid having a hinge connecting the closure part to the cap part, the hinge allowing the closure part to move between an open position which allows access to the aperture for placing sharps in the receptacle to a closed position covering the aperture; a releasable lock structure including a releasable lock detent on one of the cap part or closure part of the lid and a releasable lock projection on the other of the cap part or closure part of the lid, the releasable lock projection adapted to form a connection with the releasable lock detent upon movement of the lid to the closed position, the connection being releasable upon application of force to the releasable lock projection or the releasable lock detent in a direction substantially radial to the lid and allowing the lid to be moved to the open position; and at least one permanent lock structure including a permanent lock tab on one of the closure part or the cap part of the lid and a permanent lock catch on the other of the closure part or the cap part of the lid, characterized in that the permanent lock tab is movable rotatable about a hinge to engage the permanent lock catch when the lid is in the closed position, the permanent lock catch adapted to irreversibly engage the permanent lock tab such that force required to open the permanent lock structure is substantially transverse to the force required to move the closed lid to the open position. a base having a bottom wall, a side wall and a top defining a receptacle for receiving sharps, the side wall extending upwardly from the bottom wall, the top connected to an upper portion of the side wall and having an opening therethrough; a lid having a closure part and a cap part having an aperture therethrough, the lid being connectable to the top via the cap part, the lid having a hinge connecting the closure part to the cap part, the hinge allowing the closure part to move between an open position which allows access to the aperture for placing sharps in the receptacle to a closed position covering the aperture; a releasable lock structure including a releasable lock detent on one of the cap part or closure part of the lid and a releasable lock projection on the other of the cap part or closure part of the lid, the releasable lock projection adapted to form a connection with the releasable lock detent upon movement of the lid to the closed position, the connection being releasable upon application of force to the releasable lock projection or the releasable lock detent in a direction substantially radial to the lid and allowing the lid to be moved to the open position; and at least one permanent lock structure including a permanent lock tab on one of the closure part or the cap part of the lid and a permanent lock catch on the other of the closure part or the cap part of the lid, characterized in that the permanent lock tab is movable rotatable about a hinge to engage the permanent lock catch when the lid is in the closed position, the permanent lock catch adapted to irreversibly engage the permanent lock tab such that force required to open the permanent lock structure is substantially transverse to the force required to move the closed lid to the open position.