Shellfish aquaculture has developed rapidly, and the annual production of shell waste by‐products exceeds 10 million tons. The reutilization of shell waste is a severe problem in terms of environmental protection and the development of the circular economy. Due to its limited economic value, shell waste has generally been discarded or sent to landfill without any further processing and reutilization, thereby wasting resources and severely degrading the coastal ecosystem. This review summarizes recent research into the reutilization of shell waste, including applications in the fields of agriculture, construction, environmental protection, chemical production, food additives and biomaterials. Problems and strategies related to the reutilization of shell waste are analysed in order to provide technical support for the large‐scale and high value‐added utilization of shell waste.