> it was already done and paid for. It's a trashcan, it doesn't require specialized tooling
The government doesn't spec "a trashcan." They create size specs, water-tightness ratings, material durability, etc. The exact spec they provide may be met in 90% of areas by an existing trash can, but that won't do. If there are requirements for some level of waterproofing, you can't just seal it or even mold it from a single piece of material, you have to PROOVE it. It has to be tested and usually adhere to an existing standard so you're going to design several trash can, submit them for approval and use the best one that passes.
It's mind-numbingly tedious to build anything for the government.
Boeing pays at least on business I know to essentially have a complete label printing line with staff available to run it. Each label must be hellaciously expensive when they need one but my understanding was that some(all?) are part of the certification for airworthiness. So a missing or damaged label can ground the plane, which is far more expensive than the label.
The government doesn't spec "a trashcan." They create size specs, water-tightness ratings, material durability, etc. The exact spec they provide may be met in 90% of areas by an existing trash can, but that won't do. If there are requirements for some level of waterproofing, you can't just seal it or even mold it from a single piece of material, you have to PROOVE it. It has to be tested and usually adhere to an existing standard so you're going to design several trash can, submit them for approval and use the best one that passes.
It's mind-numbingly tedious to build anything for the government.