From retired jackets to ready-for-anything bags
What happens to a ski resort’s old uniforms when they’ve reached the end of their run?
Most end up collecting dust in a storage closet—or worse, headed to a landfill.
This season, Stratton Mountain in Vermont decided to take a different path.
They teamed up with BirdieBlue, a Vermont-based upcycling company turning old outdoor gear into colorful, adventure-ready bags, to transform retired Stratton ski jackets, lift attendant coats, and mountain host uniforms into a brand-new collection of upcycled bags.
The result? A limited-edition line of Stratton Mountain x BirdieBlue bags, each carrying the stories of bluebird days, powder mornings, and the hardworking teams who make the mountain magic happen.
Step 1: Collecting the Gear
Every upcycle partnership starts the same way: with a pile of well-loved gear.
When Stratton’s operations team reached out, they had dozens of damaged or outdated uniforms, materials that couldn’t be reused or donated but still had tons of life left in them.
Instead of sending them to the landfill, Stratton sent them to The BirdieBlue Nest in Morrisville, Vermont, where our team sorted, deconstructed, and cleaned every piece to prepare it for transformation.
Step 2: Breaking Down the Old to Build Something New
Once the gear arrived, our production assistants and home sewists got to work.
Each jacket and pant was carefully deconstructed by hand, zippers removed, insulation separated, linings trimmed, and fabric panels sorted by color and texture. We then paired the bold Stratton reds, blacks, and grays into new colorways ready for cutting and sewing.
Using our industrial clicker press and cutting dies, we cut precise pattern pieces for our most popular bag styles—from Carry All Totes to Fanny Packs and Dopp Kits—all from the original Stratton gear.
Every scrap that couldn’t be used was sorted for downcycling or reuse in future projects, ensuring zero fabric waste from start to finish.
Step 3: Sewing a New Story
Next came the fun part: sewing the memories back together.
Each BirdieBlue bag is handcrafted by our network of local sewists across Vermont—talented women who balance work, family, and creativity, all while helping us keep outdoor gear in adventure circulation.
The result is a line of bags that are as unique as the mountain they came from—every scuff, stitch, and color block tells the story of life on the slopes.
Step 4: Back on the Mountain
Just in time for the 2025–2026 ski season, the Stratton Mountain x BirdieBlue Upcycled Collection will launch exclusively at Stratton Mountain.
These bags aren’t just souvenirs—they’re a symbol of sustainability in motion. Each one represents a jacket saved from the landfill and a step toward a more circular outdoor industry.
Why This Matters
Outdoor brands and ski resorts face a growing challenge: what to do with old, damaged, or outdated uniforms and branded gear.
BirdieBlue offers a simple, scalable, and sustainable solution. By upcycling this gear into new, sellable products, we help partners:
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Divert waste from landfills
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Create unique, story-driven merchandise for retail and marketing
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Engage customers with visible sustainability initiatives
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Generate additional revenue through resale or profit-sharing
It’s a win for the planet, a win for your brand, and a win for your guests who want to support resorts that care about sustainability.
Partner With BirdieBlue
If you’re a ski resort, mountain operations director, or brand sustainability lead wondering what to do with old uniforms, we’d love to help.
Our team has partnered with mountains and outdoor brands across the U.S.—from Stratton to Burton, Stio, and the U.S. Ski Team—to transform old gear into something worth carrying forward.
Let’s keep your mountain’s story alive—one upcycled bag at a time.
📩 Interested in an upcycle partnership?
Reach out to Kate at hello@shopbirdieblue.com or visit shopbirdieblue.com to learn more about how we can turn your retired gear into your resort’s next big sustainability story.