<p>The use of bio-waste as reinforcement in the production of composites has become increasingly popular in recent years. It has been observed that the use of alternative CaCO₃ sources resulted in the improvement of the properties of aluminum matrix composites (AMCs). Another benefit of using bio-waste is the elimination of the toxic gases produced by sea shell wastes during their decomposition. Stir casting is the generally employed method in the production of bio-reinforced AMCs; however, it has some drawbacks in terms of mass production. Therefore, the applicability of arc melting, which is a common method in industrial mass production, instead of stir casting is investigated within the scope of this study. In this context, the arc melting-suction casting technique was used to produce calcined mussel shell-reinforced aluminum composites. The effects of powder size and reinforcement ratio were also investigated. The hardness of pure aluminum was increased by 81% with 15 wt% reinforcement addition when the added powder size was above 50&#xa0;µm. The mass loss after wear test was reduced by 71% in parallel with the increase in hardness. It is believed that with this comprehensive research on the evaluation of mussel shell as the reinforcement in aluminum matrix composites, which can be produced cost-effectively, will expand their application fields. Accordingly, the release of the toxic gases during the decomposition of mussel shells will be prevented.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>